"Understood," Haruki nodded.
"Great," said Kazuya with a smile. "I'll handle all the logistics. Your job is simple offer creative input and feedback based on your understanding of the source material, and handle the investment side. As production progresses, just make sure to deposit the funds on schedule into the account we'll be setting up. Same goes for any further investments."
The dinner gathering stretched on until ten that evening. Most of the group left fairly drunk, catching cabs back home.
Haruki quietly paid the bill during a bathroom break, which earned a mild complaint from Kazuya when he found out.
Though Haruki still wasn't entirely sure what the animation team behind 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star was truly capable of, he could tell Kazuya was giving this project his all.
And that alone was enough for Haruki to trust him.
...
Over the next few days, Haruki returned to his routine working on his manga and preparing for his driver's license written test.
On the weekend, he took the bus from his driving school to a testing center near his university. After arriving, he met up with his instructor a Chubby, laid-back man named Coach Takahara.
The test-takers were grouped together, and among them, one person stood out.
A girl wearing a baseball cap, a black jacket, and shorts. Her long ponytail bounced as she moved, her delicate features framed by youthful energy. The way she stood relaxed but focused caught the attention of more than a few guys.
She glanced around until her eyes landed on Haruki.
"Ha—Haruki" she called out reflexively, then caught herself. "I mean, Mizushiro!" She strode toward him.
"Ryuko?" Haruki blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking the test, of course!" she said with a grin. "What a coincidence, You too?"
Of course, it wasn't really a coincidence. Ryuko had gone through misaki to find out Haruki's schedule and booked the same test slot.
"Ahem... just call me Haruki. We're in public," he reminded her.
"Fine, fine!" she said playfully. "Still, it's funny. You, of all people the creator of Initial D taking the written exam for a driver's license?"
"Drawing manga doesn't grant you a license," Haruki replied dryly, already used to this kind of teasing.
"By the way, who's your instructor?"
"Coach Takahara," he said casually.
"Same here! Small world."
"Not really. Your sister pulled both of us into this for Coach Takahara's recruitment quota, didn't she?" Haruki said, unimpressed.
Ryuko laughed sheepishly. "Okay, you got me. My sister's roommate with Coach Takahara's daughter. She's helping him recruit students, and I kind of got dragged in..."
Everything she said was technically true except the part where she just happened to show up. That part was staged.
"Your sister is misaki, right? She mentioned you after she found out about me."
"Yup. I told her not to tell anyone else, though."
Haruki nodded, feeling more at ease. Her explanation matched what Misaki had said, and it didn't seem like anything shady was going on. At most, he could verify later if Coach Takahara's daughter really was misaki roommate.
"Anyway, let's just get through the exam first," Haruki said, glancing at the clock.
They both sat for the written exam soon after multiple choice on a computer. Haruki breezed through the questions, confident from all the prep he'd done.
A few rows away, Ryuko seemed similarly relaxed.
But once the exam ended and results were posted on the spot...
Ryuko walked out of the exam room frowning.
She had failed.
And under the current rules, she wouldn't be allowed to start the next phase until she passed this one meaning a delay of at least a week. And who knew if Haruki's schedule would still line up with hers?
Just then, she heard a sigh.
Haruki was wearing the same heavy expression.
"How'd it go?" she asked him.
"Seventy-six..." he muttered.
Ryuko brightened instantly, breaking into a smile. "I got seventy-nine!"
Haruki looked at her in disbelief. "You're happy that we both failed?"[TL:- A passing score is 90%]
"I'm just relieved I'm not the only one!" she said, laughing.
Haruki sighed but couldn't help grinning. Misery does love company, after all. Seeing others leave the exam room looking so confident had made him feel like he was the only one who'd messed up.
But now, knowing Ryuko was in the same boat made it a little easier to swallow.
Unlike before, Ryuko's smile now was genuine no more calculated words or careful delivery. She found it genuinely funny that the author of Initial D flunked his driving theory test.
Haruki rolled his eyes but didn't take it to heart.
"It's already noon. Want to grab lunch? My treat," Ryuko offered.
"I've got stuff to do," Haruki replied, shaking his head.
"No worries. Let's talk again soon!" she said cheerfully, then added, "Actually... would it be alright if I asked a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Well, since we've got the same coach and now the same fail record..." she said with a playful smile, "I was wondering if you'd be okay with going to driving practice together? Honestly, going alone gets kind of boring. And having someone to swap notes with might help us both improve."
Haruki hesitated. "That sounds like a hassle."
"It won't be. We can just ride the school bus together. And... to be honest, as a girl, I do get nervous going back late. I've had a few uncomfortable incidents on the bus before. Even though the school bus is safer, I still feel uneasy sometimes. Having someone I know with me would help a lot."
Haruki considered it. The school bus between the university and Tsuyoshi Driving School was free and reliable. He wasn't sure if she was exaggerating or not, but it didn't seem like a big deal.
"Alright. Fine," he agreed.
"Great! Then it's settled. I've already got your Line, so I'll message you next time. Let's head back!" she said brightly.
As she turned to leave, she suddenly paused.
"Wait, weren't you hungry earlier?"
"I asked if you were hungry. If you weren't, then I'm good too!" she said with a wink.
Haruki stared at her, puzzled. Something about the way she flipped her attitude was strange... but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He shook his head and followed her back.
...
A few days later, the second chapter of Initial D was released in the latest issue of Shroud Line.
Fans across the industry had been eagerly waiting
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 55+ advanced chapters)