"Hey, besties, we're diving into the epic world of Akira Akatsuki-aka Akira Yukimura-a bold and spirited Japanese queen.
The vibe? Friendship, fast cars, and a hint of smoldering romance. Yep, your girl is about to cross paths with the one and only...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The next morning, Tej, Hobbs, and I gathered at the car auction. I was the only one who bothered to dress decently.
"What the hell are you guys wearing?" I asked, exasperated. My eyes darted between Hobbs' too-casual ensemble and Tej's borderline rebellious look.
They both shrugged me off like I was the weird one.
"This should be interesting," Hobbs remarked, smirking.
"Man, you really gotta loosen up," Tej added, shaking his head at the cars in the lot. "You can't just throw a bunch of factory-line Beemers at people and expect to impress."
"Hey, that car is a hell of a car," Hobbs shot back, flipping through a glossy pamphlet. "Twin-turbo V8, spitting out 560 ponies, son."
Tej rolled his eyes as he grabbed a glass of champagne. I followed suit, trying not to laugh.
"He reads the brochure. I'm so proud," Tej teased, sipping his drink. "But here's the thing: with cars, it's not just about the specs. You gotta customize. It's all about the bond between you and the car you build. It's a relationship, a commitment."
I raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you become a car romantic, Tej?"
"Hey! I've always been a romantic," he defended, puffing his chest a little. "Sounds like a marriage," Hobbs commented, clearly entertained.
"Yeah, but with cars, when you trade up, they don't take half your stuff," Tej quipped, making Hobbs and me burst out laughing.
Tej flipped through the catalog, his face twisting into a scowl. "Jesus, with price tags like these, these cars better be made out of solid gold."
"Don't worry. It's gonna be worth it," I said, patting his arm like I had any idea how much he was about to drop.
"You're not thinking about stealing these cars, are you, Parker?" Hobbs asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
Tej just raised his glass, smirking but staying silent suddenly, a smug voice interrupted us, "The kitchen help entrance is toward the back,"
The guy smirked. "No offense, gentlemen, and... kid," he added, glancing at me, "but you couldn't possibly afford the cars in this auction." He strutted off before we could say anything.
"But I'm 27..." I mumbled, pointing at myself in disbelief. Later, Tej bought all the cars just to spite the guy and sent him home—without his pants.
Brian and Dom eventually returned, looking like they'd gone a few rounds in the ring.
"What the hell happened to you two?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Rome and Han as they stumbled in behind them.
"They ruined your pretty face," I teased Han, squishing his cheeks in mock concern. Han batted my hands away, "Shaw's goons showed up and started wrecking the place," he explained.
