Initial D: Preliminary Stage

Bunta and the Eight-Six

It was early morning in the city of Shibukawa. The lights of the city shone, as multiple shops began opening in the morning. At the west and east end of the city, two tall mountains looked over the city. These are the legendary mountains..... Mt. Akina, and Mt. Akagi. In a main road that was located in the city's center, a small shop was found standing. On the nameplate of the shop, the words 'Fujiwara Tofu Shop' Were written in bold Japanese letters. Going inside the shop, It is found that it is a house-cum-shop. On the top floor, a boy, at the age of eighteen, was sleeping peacefully on his bed. The clock on his bedside showed that it was 5 o' clock in the morning, with the window outside showing a bluish, starry sky. The face of the boy who was sleeping twitched, and then a loud shout was heard in his house.

"Bunta! Wake up! I am making the tofu now!" The boy, whose name was Bunta, sat up on his bed and looked around. He then rubbed his eyes to rub off the sleep. He then got off the bed, went into the bathroom, and locked it. After brushing, he came out, and went down to the shop just in time to see his Father, Fujino Fujiwara, finish packing the tofu. "Just in time, son. Here you go." Bunta's father put forth the bag of hot tofu, as Bunta put on his shoes. He then took the bag, and got into the driveway.   A station wagon stood in the driveway. Bunta opened the trunk, and but in the tofu. He then got into the driver's seat, and started the engine. His father walked out of the shop, and then handed him a cup of water. "Here you go.... Make sure you don't spill the water. And drive slowly and carefully." Fujino said. Bunta just nodded, and then gently pressed the accelerator. The wheels began turning, as the car rolled off the driveway and Bunta then gently pressed on the accelerator to begin his delivery run. "Alright, here we go." Bunta said to himself, braking a bit to take the left turn that led to Mt. Akina. He took care that the water didn't spill. Slowly but surely, the car moved through the Shibukawa streets, giving out a muffled purr. "Christ how I hate the engine noise. By the looks of it, she might even be having some trouble pretty soon!" Bunta said, now frustrated. He was driving the same car for years and years, starting his delivery runs from the age of fifteen. It had been three years since he had been driving illegally, delivering tofu in pitch dark roads. Finally, a few months ago, he took the driving test, passing it with flying colors due to his previous experience with his driving. The took a few more left and right turns, finally reaching the foot of mount Akina. "Alright, here we go." Bunta said, now shifting back into first gear for increased torque output. The wheels slipped a little, as he climbed onto the mountain's sudden slope, and then began the final leg of his delivery run. He had memorized every nook and corner of the road, and took the corners with handling as smooth as butter. Each of his corners flowed into one-another like a dream, each being as precise as the former.  While wanting to reduce his delivery time to gain more sleep,  Bunta had unknowingly developed a skill.   This skill was to navigate the mountain pass of Mt. Akina with minimal braking. He took his first ninety-degree corner, his body rolling a little toward the outside of the turn. He shifted into second gear after passing the corner, continuing his delivery. Continuing his delivery run, he then moved to the outside as he approached a hairpin turn. Just before he hit the guardrail, he turned the car toward the inside, diving into the hairpin turn. The car was able to stay along into the inside, and then went through with the turn, then continuing to the top. Hairpin after hairpin, the car moved from the inside of the road, to the outside, and back to the inside. Swaying gracefully like a dancer, the car finally reached the top of the mountain. At the top of the mountain was lake Akina. A beautiful lake with multiple boats to ride in docked at the shore, it was a prime location for restaurants who were looking to gain profit. Bunta went ahead and delivered the tofu to the restaurants, who stocked up on their supply for the day. He then went back to his station wagon, and began driving downhill in the same manner in which he came uphill. 

 Fujino heard the station wagon pull into the driveway again and smiled. If Bunta hadn't agreed to help him with his deliveries, the Tofu shop would have closed down long ago. He and Bunta were the life and soul of the shop, being the ones who kept the sales up. The sales over the years had gone insanely high, with Lake Akina becoming a popular tourist destination. Bunta's bank account and his bank account were now full to the brim with money. "Bunta, come here!" Fujino said, as Bunta switched off the station wagon and got out. "What happened, dad?" Bunta asked, removing his shoes and going into the upper floors of the shop. "Bunta, we have just hit huge sales figures!" His father said. Bunta only gave a disinterested look from his narrowed out eyes, and turned back to leave. "I'm sorry dad, but to tell you the truth, I have always hated the prospect of having to get up early in the morning and deliver Tofu." Bunta said. Fujino sighed, having known this for years. He knew that his son simply hated delivering the tofu every morning. However, Fujino was grateful to his son that he understood his own importance in the running of the shop, and that Bunta gave in to his requests, every time he asked him to do something.