You jump, feeling your back pocket vibrate unexpectedly. Checking your phone, you see that Kaoru had responded to your earlier text.
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You sigh, slightly disappointed. Maybe another time?
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You brush your hair out of your eyes, nervousness and excitement already creeping into your system.
You were sure racing would be fun, but the thought of losing made your head spin.
People in S usually bet crazy shit on races...what if you ended up having to bet an arm or something???
Then again, Kaoru would probably think of a way to bail you out of something like that.
But he might not want to disrespect the rules...
God, you had only known Kaoru a few months, and yet you were already relying on him to get you out of a sticky situation?
Whatever.
Standing up from your bed, you shove your phone in your back pocket, walking hurriedly out of your bedroom door.
Maybe it was best to skateboard for a bit, to cool off.
You grab your board, snatching your keys from the kitchen counter on your way out the front door.
Shutting and locking your door, you drop your board on the ground, skating down the street.
Might as well go to the skatepark. It would be more fun than just skating around the neighborhood.
-skip-
You sigh, wiping sweat from your brow. You'd been skating for a few hours, and you could feel the exhaustion weighing down your limbs.
You check your watch, breathing heavy.
11:30 PM.
Shit!
You were going to be late to S if you waited any longer.
The trip there was uneventful, you meeting up with Kojiro and Kaoru shortly after arriving at the abandoned mine.
Kojiro wrapped an arm around your shoulder, laughing. "Soooooooo! You're skating against some newbie today?"
You smile softly, glancing at Kaoru. "Yep."
A group of girls walked past you, glancing at Kojiro and whispering intently. He flashed them a smirk, continuing with his speech. "How are you feeling?"
You shrug, unbothered. "I was nervous as hell at first, but now I'm okay. I feel like I can do this."
Kaoru taps you on the shoulder, and you turn towards him, confused. "You can't let all these people see you in your daily clothes. Especially not your face."
You flush, embarrassed.
How could I forget something so simple?!
"You didn't make any preparations, did you?"
You sigh, leaning on Kojiro tiredly. "I didn't think of that..."
You glance down at your outfit, worried. Would someone recognize you?
You were wearing black jeans, a skintight black turtleneck, and an oversized purple flannel.
Damn...
Kaoru sighed, handing you a black neck fleece identical to his own. "This will hide your face. It'll look better if you tuck it underneath your shirt."
You take it, ignoring Joe's whispered remark about how cute the two of you were.
You slip the mask over your head, tucking it under your shirt as Kaoru had instructed. Taking a hair tie from your wrist, you pull your hair into a messy bun, pulling two pieces of hair out of your bun to frame your face.
You push Kojiro's arm off of you, stretching. "How do I look?" You say playfully, tilting your head.
"I barely even recognize you. In a good way." Kaoru murmured.
"That's good then, huh?" You laugh, catching sight of Reki, Langa, Shadow, and Miya.
"C'mon, I see the rest of the gang! Let's go and say hello." You say, dragging Kaoru and Kojiro over to their group.
"Hey hey! Woah, what's with the getup [y/n]?" Reki greeted, glancing at your mask, and then at Kaoru. "Huh, are you two matching?"
Your face heats, and you glance at the floor, embarrassed. "Not intentionally. Anyway, when do the races start? My nervousness is coming back."
Miya turns to you, pulling his hood over his head. "Nervousness? What for?"
Kojiro smiles, patting you on the head. "This rookie is gonna race another rookie!"
Langa and Reki gasp animatedly, and Shadow scratches his head, confused. "I never knew you wanted to race."
You smile awkwardly, scratching your neck. "I didn't...I guess. A friend recommended me."
"Well, we're all rooting for you!" Reki smiles, flashing you a thumbs up.
Langa nods, grabbing Reki's hand.
Sirens.
You glance around, looking for the source of the sound.
You hear Kaoru gasp next to you, and a loud yell from someone in the crowd.
"Look! Over there! By the entrance to the mine!"
You glance to your left, and your face pales.
A mop of blue hair, and an overly eccentric outfit.
You turn to Kaoru, and your eyes widen, after seeing his expression.
