Hiroshi Kanzaki...H.K
3-time GT300 champion, 2-time GT200 champion and 1-time formula 1 world champion...a resume that earned him his iconic '3-2-1' title along side his already existing one; 'The strategist'.
One he earned from his numerous strategic victories against renown underground street racers before going pro...its safe to say that Riku knew about him--a bit better than others did.
This was exactly why the letter itself worried him a lot more.
Hiroshi Kanzaki had a lot to his name, the most iconic ones outside of active racing were his roles as race engineers. Once for Aston Martin's formula 1 team; which then gifted Fernando Alonso with two more world championships--and another for Honda's GT world challenge entry which ended with the team's devastating loss.
A loss he was familiar with as well; being the driver that tasted it first hand.
He slowly reclined on his seat, an exasperated sigh escaping him as he pinched his brows.
After another second he sighed again, shifting on his seat unsure about whether or not he wished to continue reclining or go back to leaning on his dimly lit desk.
His mind had found itself forming webs of thoughts he clearly couldn't brush away; you don't simply wake up one morning expecting to get a letter from someone like him--not to mention the content within the letter itself.
Riku had practically burned its message into his brain at this point; dissected every bit of it to make sure he wasn't being fooled.
And at this point, he wasn't sure whether or not he was relieved or stressed by the fact that it was a genuine letter; handwritten by the strategist himself.
Still clearly bothered, Riku leaned back onto the desk; pulling his seat closer as he straightened the letter on his disorganized desk--his eyes narrowing slightly as it skimmed through the text again, only pausing once he'd gotten to what he felt was the important part.
"...I've got another gig, you probably know what it is by now but I'll spare you the details. Just trust me one more time and you won't regret it, you need this, I need this--come on.
Think about it kid.
I can't say everything on paper, but you understand what I mean.
From one old friend to another, we need this; you know where to find me.
-H.K"
"Another gig..." Riku let out in a whisper, his brows furrowing at the end of his sentence.
Infinity Drive; that's the 'gig' that came to mind...the thought of it alone made his worries and stresses grow even more.
Going from Gt World Championship to Infinity Drive could best be explained by an easy comparison--getting a job as a fighter jet pilot after toying around with their simulator for one day. Not to mention, Riku's 'simulator' ended in a disaster he wished to mentally erase forever. The fact that he was even contemplating taking up Hiroshi's offer was astonishing to him.
Making up his mind, Riku slid his chair back, stole a final glance at the letter before releasing one more sigh--his body automatically making its way to his bed.
Half of him wished he could simply move on and just take the offer--he still loved motorsports; it's the only reason why he still watched it to begin with. Once its in your blood, its never truly leaves; even when you try and force it to.
His other half was what kept him in check--two years or not, he had a fatal crash on his records. One that took the life of an innocent spectator; that was what kept him from getting behind the wheel ever since.
The thought of it alone sent shivers down his spine.
There was just something about no longer having control over your car anymore that had him feeling uneasy...the fact that it could happen at any moment reinforced his uneasiness.
The forces he endured, the loss of hope, the thought of death...and the eyes that stared back at him as he took a life...
His jaw tightened as he tightened his grip on his bed's sheet; folding it under his palm as his mind forced him into a scenario--the world around him twisting and turning uncontrollably.
His head begun pounding as his vision blurred; everything around him splitting into twos--the ceiling lights he had been staring at quickly turning into headlights that seemingly began flying towards him at a rapid pace.
"You good kid?"
A voice broke him out of the limbo he'd found himself getting sucked into; its familiarity forcing him off his back and onto a sitting posture on the edge of his bed--a single bead of sweat trickling down his face.
"Dad...yeah, I'm alright"
"Doesn't seem like it, you didn't even hear me knock."
"My fault, got lost in my own thoughts for a second there."
"Looked more like you were about to pass out," Yamato let out, slowly walking into the room, "...hope you're thirsty at least."
His words were followed by him tossing canned coffee towards Riku who barely caught it; a brief moment of silence was then shared before Yamato broke it short, pulling an opened brown envelope from his pocket.
"Came in last night, I'm guessing you got yours too?" Yamato questioned, his eyes knowingly gazing towards Riku's desk before turning back to his son.
"I'm surprised you even opened it." He jokingly continued, pulling a seat towards him before making himself comfortable.
"You know I'm not going to do this, right?" Riku quickly responded, cracking the can open before taking a short sip, "I don't race anymore, you know this better than anyone."
Riku's response lingered in the air for a moment before Yamato let out a chuckle, reclining comfortably on his seat.
"Relax, relax; I'm not here to try and butter you up to the idea."
"I'm not buying it."
"No, really, this isn't something I can force you into or even try and get you to do." Yamato responded, keeping a straight face as he stared at Riku, "...but that doesn't mean I won't talk about it."
"There's nothing to talk about, everything about his offer..."
"Did I ever tell you about how your mom and I became World Rally Champions?" Yamato interrupted, staring at the ceiling for a moment; a short smirk on his face before he quickly snapped his gaze back onto Riku.
"Mom...a World Rally Champion?"
"Well...on the records, at least." Yamato chuckled out, scratching the back of his head, "...she never really raced till the end, I did it for her."
Thinking back at it, Yamato still held a deep level of gratitude towards the FIA for letting this slide; it was against all rules--but rules never were a worry he had.
In reality, Shizuka Takahashi found herself losing control of her vehicle mid-race; forcing it into a violent roll which ended with it split in half by a tree.
No roll cage could save that...not in this world nor in any other.
As a result, her run ended there; leaving behind a legacy that was never truly completed and a husband who feared racing after the loss of his wife. His hate for the sport oddly begun and ended after that moment as well--the thought of his wife leaving this world without having completed her goal made him feel uneasy.
And even if it meant battling the beast that took her life, Yamato was determined to achieve it for her.
His body would tremble each time he'd feel the car rumbling around him and the world around him would spin uncontrollably each time he went above 70 km/h, but he clawed through and eventually seized the win--marking the championship under his wife's name before cementing it all with another win the following year.
"I swore I'd never race after her death, that I'd keep you and I safe with her gone..." Yamato's lips stayed shut for a moment, his eyes examining Riku's room for a moment before shooting a serious glance towards Riku himself.
"Look, I came back because I had a reason to; you don't have to if you don't want to."
Yamato slowly slid his letter onto Riku's bed, the fabric hissing as it rubbed against it.
"But you also don't have to pretend you don't want to; whatever it is you fear, you just need a reason to overcome it, kid."
"What if I don't have a reason?"
"Then you'll either regret never finding one or forget about this entire ordeal entirely,"
Before Riku could squeeze out another word, Yamato leaned in closer; his eyes staring straight at Riku with an intensity he hadn't experienced before.
"But if we're being real, we both know which outcome will come to pass" Yamato slowly eased off, reclining on his seat again before crossing his arms, "...think about it kid."
Swiftly after, Yamato grabbed the canned coffee off of Riku's grip sipping playfully before slowly marching confidently towards the door; leaving Riku visibly flustered.
It was true, Riku had no solid reason to get back into the sport as his father once did; but that didn't mean he didn't want to. The only reason he wasn't back behind the wheel at this point was because of his own fears; fears he would regret having were he to simply idle along and let life take the wheel.
"Did he tell you when my chance closes?" Riku let out, pausing his fathers' movements--a smile slowly drawing itself on Yamato's face.