Racing Hearts | Shinichiro {?}

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The hum of the car’s engine was the only sound that filled the tense silence between Kazuki and Y/N as they sped away from the chaos. Y/N’s vision was blurred, her head throbbing from the pain in her side. Every bump in the road seemed to amplify the ache, but she could still feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She had to stay conscious, had to stay alert. She couldn’t leave Shinichiro alone—not now, not after everything that had just happened.

She shifted, trying to look out the window, but the world outside was just a blur of lights. "Kazuki, stop the car," she managed to croak, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kazuki’s eyes flickered toward her, his expression unreadable but concerned. "Y/N, you need to rest. You're losing too much blood." His grip on the steering wheel tightened, but he didn’t slow down.

"I’m not resting. I’m going back. To him," Y/N hissed through gritted teeth. The burning desire to be by Shinichiro’s side was overpowering. The need to make sure he was okay—to make sure he didn’t do something reckless because she wasn’t there—was like an electric current pulsing through her.

Kazuki shot her a look that was half disbelief, half warning. “Y/N, you’re in no condition to fight. You’ve been stabbed.”

“I’m not just going to sit back and wait,” she snapped, her voice growing stronger despite the pain. "He’ll think he’s alone again, and you know that will make him... do something stupid. I can’t let him do that."

There was a brief pause as Kazuki considered her words. The silence in the car was heavy, laden with the weight of unspoken truths. Kazuki knew Shinichiro better than anyone. Knew how he would push himself to the limit, how he would bury his emotions and his doubts under layers of pride and anger. He wasn’t wrong to worry. But he also knew that Y/N’s presence—her unwavering belief in him—was something Shinichiro couldn’t easily ignore.

Kazuki exhaled sharply, his eyes flicking back to the road. "You’re stubborn, you know that?"

"Well, someone has to be," Y/N muttered, her hand gripping the seat for support. "We don’t have time to waste."

And that was the truth of it. Every second they spent driving away from the battle was a second Shinichiro was alone, potentially outnumbered. There was no way she could just let him face Kaito’s men, and possibly worse, on his own.

Kazuki finally gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. But if anything happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“You won’t need to,” she said with a weak but determined smile. “We’ll make it there before it’s too late.”

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The streets blurred by in a frantic rush, and as they neared the location of the fight, Y/N could see the flickering of distant lights, the flicker of violence. She could hear the muffled sound of engines in the distance, the screams of the street racers, the familiar roar of Shinichiro’s bike cutting through the night like a blade.

Her pulse quickened.

Kazuki slammed his foot on the brake, and the car screeched to a halt just out of sight of the fight. The sound of shouting, metal clashing, and the unmistakable screech of tires on asphalt reached their ears, growing louder as they stepped out of the car.

“Stay behind me,” Kazuki warned, but Y/N ignored him, her body already moving toward the fight. She didn’t have time for his orders. Not now.

They crept forward, keeping low, and Y/N’s heart skipped as she spotted Shinichiro—still on his bike, a figure of defiance amid the chaos. His jaw was set, his fists tight on the handlebars, and his eyes locked on Kaito, who was smirking from the other side of the battlefield, surrounded by his men.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” Kaito sneered, his voice cutting through the roar of engines. He stepped forward, his own team falling in line behind him like a pack of wolves.

Shinichiro didn’t answer at first. He was waiting, observing, calculating. But Y/N could see it now—the tension in his shoulders, the sharpness in his gaze. He was ready for this. Ready for whatever came next.

“What are you going to do, Shinichiro?” Kaito’s voice was mocking, taunting. "Are you really going to risk it all for this? For her?" His eyes flickered to Y/N, who was just behind Kazuki, her presence like a flickering flame in the darkness.

Shinichiro’s eyes narrowed. "I risk it all because I’m not afraid of losing. You, Kaito, on the other hand… you’re terrified of what you’ve lost. And that’s why you’ll never win."

Y/N felt the weight of those words, the tension that hung thick in the air. Shinichiro wasn’t just fighting for survival anymore. He was fighting for something much deeper, something far more dangerous—the belief that he didn’t have to walk alone, that he could trust someone else. Trust her.

Kaito took a step forward, sneering. “You think you’re better than me? That you can control everything? We’ll see how long that lasts.”

Without warning, Kaito’s men surged forward, and the fight was back on.

But this time, it was different. Y/N wasn’t just a bystander. She could see the way Shinichiro moved, the way he anticipated every punch, every kick, as if he had already seen it all before. But there was a fire in him now—fueled by something stronger than anger. It was something deeper, more personal. The need to protect her.

Kazuki moved to block one of Kaito’s men from advancing, throwing a heavy punch into his opponent’s side. Y/N’s eyes darted between the chaos, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to help. Wanted to fight beside them. But her body screamed for rest. The pain was unbearable, her side still bleeding. But still, she moved closer to Shinichiro, closer to the battle.

He noticed her. His eyes locked with hers, and in that moment, everything else faded. For a split second, the world stopped. He was fighting—yes—but he wasn’t alone. She was there. She had always been there.

"Get out of here!" he shouted, his voice desperate, as his hand shot out to grab hers.

But before she could respond, Kaito’s laughter rang through the air, cold and venomous. "This is it, Shinichiro. You’ve played your hand. Now it’s time for you to lose."

The battle raged on, but in that moment, Y/N knew one thing for sure. This wasn’t just about winning. It was about something much deeper. Something she wasn’t willing to lose.

And neither was Shinichiro.

The fight wasn’t over. Not yet.

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