AN : I might create chapters like this quite often, I've realized that making chapters like this is quite easy compared to usual chapters and i can make it with less time because usually i'm just write it flawlessly without any reference of past chapt lol.
After leaving Takehiko Inoue's home, Zaboru walked casually toward the parking area with his usual relaxed expression, as if this was just another normal afternoon. Takehiko followed beside him, still talking quietly about the strange high school player who looked almost too similar to Sakuragi Hanamichi.
Takehiko was not a loud person by nature. Even when he was excited, his excitement usually came out in small smiles, quiet mutters, or awkward pauses where he seemed unsure whether he was allowed to say what he truly thought. Around Zaboru especially, he became even more careful. After all, this was not just any man walking beside him. This was Zaboru Renkonan, the founder of ZAGE, the person who owned Hakushensha, YaDo, ZEPS, ZAGE Store, and half the cultural world Takehiko worked inside.
So when Takehiko saw Zaboru's car, he did not immediately shout.
His words simply disappeared.
Parked quietly by the side of the road was a Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86. Not only that, it looked almost exactly like the car from ZAGE's hit anime, Initial D. The white-and-black body, the sharp old-school shape, the aura of street legend around it—it was like the car had driven straight out of the screen and into real life.
Takehiko stopped walking.
His eyes widened.
Then, very slowly, he looked at Zaboru.
"U-Um… boss…" Takehiko said, pointing at the car with unusual hesitation. "Is that… a real AE86?"
Zaboru glanced at it casually. "Yeah."
Takehiko blinked several times, as if trying to process whether he had heard correctly. "Not just any AE86… that is very close to Takumi's AE86, right?"
Zaboru scratched his cheek and chuckled. "Well… close enough."
Takehiko stared at the car again.
"Close enough…" he repeated quietly, almost to himself. "I see…"
His expression was calm, but his eyes were not. They were shining with the barely contained excitement of a creator who had suddenly found himself standing in front of something from his own entertainment world.
After a moment, Takehiko smiled awkwardly and lowered his voice. "Boss, forgive me if this sounds rude, but… this car is extremely difficult to find now, isn't it? Especially after Initial D became popular. I heard people have been searching for AE86s everywhere."
Zaboru laughed softly. "Yeah, I heard the price went a little crazy."
Takehiko's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"A little…" he repeated again.
He did not argue loudly. He simply stared at Zaboru with a strange mixture of respect, disbelief, and quiet exhaustion.
Then he said softly, "Boss, your sense of 'a little' is probably different from normal people."
Zaboru blinked. "You think so?"
Takehiko smiled politely. "A little."
Zaboru opened the driver's door and said casually, "Ah, well, a Toyota executive gave it to me once."
Takehiko stopped moving again.
This time, even his polite smile froze.
"…Gave it to you?" he asked carefully.
"Yeah."
"As a gift?"
"Yeah."
Takehiko looked at the car.
Then at Zaboru.
Then back at the car.
For a few seconds, he seemed to be searching for the correct response, but nothing appropriate came out. Finally, he lowered his head slightly and muttered, "I see… that is… very Zaboru-san."
Zaboru laughed. "What does that mean?"
Takehiko immediately waved both hands in panic. "Ah, no, no, I did not mean anything bad!"
Zaboru laugh "Hey Relax Take-san I know."
Takehiko looked relieved, then continued in a smaller voice, "It is just… normal people usually buy cars, boss. They search, compare prices, worry about money, maybe negotiate. But in your case, a Toyota executive gives you a legendary car as thanks. It feels like hearing a story from another world."
Zaboru laughed harder. "I didn't ask for it."
"That is what makes it more surprising," Takehiko said, smiling awkwardly. "You simply exist, and rare cars gather around you."
Zaboru leaned against the car with a grin. "Well, to be fair, Gran Turismo helped Toyota's image too. Initial D made the AE86 legendary, and Gran Turismo made people care about dozens of Japanese cars again. So I guess some manufacturers became grateful."
Takehiko stared at him quietly.
Then he slowly placed a hand over his mouth, as if hiding a smile and a sigh at the same time.
"Boss…" he said gently, "you just said your game and anime affected real-world car culture like it was a small side effect."
Zaboru blinked. "Is that flexing?"
Takehiko hesitated.
He clearly wanted to be honest, but he also did not want to sound disrespectful.
After a moment, he gave a small nod. "A little."
Zaboru laughed again. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it that way."
"I understand," Takehiko said. "That is why it feels even more amazing. You are not trying to boast, but the story itself is already too large."
Zaboru opened the passenger door for him. "Then please enter the large story."
Takehiko looked at the AE86 again.
For a moment, his modest restraint almost broke. His eyes sparkled as he looked inside the car.
"…May I touch the dashboard?" he asked quietly.
"You're already going to sit inside."
"Still…" Takehiko said, smiling like a shy child. "It feels rude somehow."
Zaboru smiled. "Go ahead."
Takehiko entered the car carefully, almost respectfully. The moment he sat down, he looked around the interior with quiet awe. He touched the dashboard gently, glanced at the steering wheel, looked at the gear shift, then stared through the windshield like he was imagining himself racing downhill at night.
"This is incredible…" Takehiko whispered.
Zaboru sat in the driver's seat and closed the door. "You like it?"
Takehiko nodded quickly, then seemed embarrassed by his own reaction. "Yes. Very much. It feels… old, but in a good way. Like it has a memory."
Zaboru smiled faintly. "I get what you mean."
The engine started, and the AE86 gave a small, satisfying growl. Takehiko instantly stiffened. His eyes widened again, but this time he did not speak immediately.
After a few seconds, he muttered, "Ah…"
Zaboru glanced at him. "You okay?"
Takehiko nodded, still staring ahead. "Yes. I think I understand car fans a little better now."
Zaboru chuckled and pulled onto the road.
"So," Zaboru asked, "where is the school?"
Takehiko was still looking around the car like a quiet museum visitor, but he quickly returned to himself. "Ah, right. Himura High. Do you know the place?"
Zaboru nodded. "Yeah."
Takehiko blinked. "Already?"
"It's in Tokyo."
Takehiko smiled awkwardly. "Yes, but Tokyo is… quite large."
"I know the map."
Takehiko turned toward him slowly.
"You mean… you checked it before?"
"No. I just know it."
Takehiko stared at him for a moment, then looked forward again.
"I see…"
Zaboru laughed.
The AE86 moved smoothly through the city streets. It was not the fastest car Zaboru owned, not even close, but there was something charming about it. It was light, nostalgic, and simple in a way modern luxury cars could not imitate. Every movement felt mechanical, direct, and alive.
Takehiko, meanwhile, reacted in his own quiet way.
When Zaboru shifted gears smoothly, Takehiko's eyes widened slightly.
When the car turned a corner cleanly, he muttered, "That felt nice…"
When someone on the street pointed at the AE86 with excited recognition, Takehiko lowered his head a little in embarrassment.
"Boss," he whispered, "people are looking."
"It's the car."
"Yes," Takehiko said. "That is exactly why I think we should be careful."
"Careful?"
Takehiko looked at him seriously, though his voice remained soft. "Please do not park inside the school."
Zaboru frowned. "Huh? Why?"
Takehiko hesitated, choosing his words with care. "Because… first, this car already attracts attention. Second, if students see you stepping out of it, there may be a commotion."
Zaboru blinked.
Takehiko continued, becoming slightly more expressive, though still modest. "Imagine it from their perspective. The AE86 from Initial D arrives at school, and then Zaboru Renkonan gets out. For them, that would not look like a normal visit. It would look like some kind of special event."
Zaboru rubbed his chin. "You think so?"
Takehiko nodded firmly. "I do. We came here to observe Hanamichi-kun, not to accidentally disturb the entire school."
Zaboru laughed. "Fair point."
Takehiko gave a small sigh of relief. "Thank you." then he thinking by himself..
"Hmm… where should we park…? Somewhere nearby would be best," Takehiko said. "Maybe a quiet street, or—"
"Don't worry about it."
That sentence immediately made Takehiko nervous.
He looked at Zaboru slowly.
"Boss…"
Zaboru already took out his phone.
Takehiko's expression became even more uncertain. "What are you doing?"
"Solving the parking problem."
Zaboru dialed someone and waited only a few seconds before the call connected.
"Hello, Kuroki-san," Zaboru said casually. "Sorry for the sudden call. I'm near Himura High and need help parking my car somewhere discreet."
Takehiko's face became blank.
On the other side of the phone, Kuroki Takata answered with calm certainty.
"Consider it done, boss."
Zaboru smiled. "Thanks."
Then he ended the call like he had just asked someone to save a seat at a restaurant.
Takehiko stared at him.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
"Umm boss, are you calling someone to park the car..?"
Zaboru shrugs and nods, "Yeah, some people from Aoshidan."
Takehiko opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Zaboru laughed.
"It's just parking."
Takehiko sighed and just nod
A few minutes later, they reached a quiet side street not far from Himura High. Before Takehiko could even ask what would happen next, two men wearing discreet Aoshidan pins appeared from the corner with professional speed.
Takehiko flinched slightly.
"Ah…"
The two men bowed deeply the moment Zaboru stepped out of the car.
"Morning, Boss!"
Zaboru sighed immediately.
"Kugo. Yuuya. I keep telling you two, I'm not your oyabun."
The two former yakuza smiled without shame.
"It's okay, boss!"
"No, it's not okay," Zaboru said tiredly. "And lower your voices. We're near a school."
"Yes, boss!"
Takehiko stood beside the car, completely flabbergasted.
But even then, he did not become loud.
He simply stared.
First at Kugo.
Then at Yuuya.
Then at Zaboru.
Then at the AE86.
Then back at Zaboru.
His expression looked like a manga panel where the background had turned into empty white space.
"Boss…" Takehiko whispered, "this is… quite far from normal."
Zaboru tossed the car keys to Kugo. "Please take care of it."
Kugo caught the keys with both hands like he had received a sacred artifact. "Leave it to us."
Yuuya nodded seriously. "No one will touch the car."
Zaboru smiled. "Thanks."
Takehiko leaned closer and whispered, "They are treating the AE86 like a national treasure."
"To some people, it kind of is."
Takehiko looked at the car again, then nodded with complete sincerity. "That is understandable."
Before heading toward the school, Zaboru opened a small bag he had brought and began changing his appearance. He put on his signature wig and plain glasses, then wore a slightly worn-out jacket over his clothes. Within seconds, the powerful aura around him became strangely muted. He still looked unusual if someone stared too long, but at a glance, he seemed like an ordinary man accompanying a mangaka.
Takehiko watched the transformation happen right in front of him.
His eyes widened again.
"That is impressive…" he said softly.
Zaboru looked at him. "What?"
"You really look different."
"That's the point."
"No, I mean…" Takehiko stepped back slightly, observing him with the eyes of an artist. "The wig changes your silhouette. The glasses soften your eyes. The jacket lowers your presence. Even your posture feels more ordinary now."
Zaboru chuckled. "You noticed that much?"
Takehiko became a little embarrassed. "Sorry. Occupational habit."
"No, it's interesting."
Takehiko smiled shyly. "It is almost like character design. You changed the impression without changing the person."
Zaboru smiled. "I learned from experience."
"Because being famous is troublesome?"
"Because every time I go out normally, something happens."
Takehiko paused.
Then he gave Zaboru a quiet, awkward look.
"Boss," he said carefully, "that also sounds like one of those casual Zaboru-san moments."
Zaboru laughed. "Well I'm tho"
Zaboru continued laughing as the two walked toward Himura High. Since Takehiko's face was not widely known despite his pen name being famous, and Zaboru was now disguised, they were able to enter the school area without attracting much attention. Some students glanced at them, but only briefly. To them, they looked like ordinary adults visiting for school-related business.
Takehiko looked relieved.
"This is better," he whispered. "Quiet. Peaceful. No commotion."
Zaboru gave him a side-eye. "You were that worried?"
Takehiko nodded. "A little. If you appeared normally, I think the students would gather very quickly."
"That's exaggerating."
Takehiko looked at him with a modest but serious expression. "Boss, many of these students probably grew up with ZEPS, ZAGE anime, ZAGE games, ZAGE Store, and ZAGE Forum. To them, you are not only a businessman. You are connected to their childhood."
Zaboru smiled awkwardly. "When you list it like that, it sounds strange."
"It is strange," Takehiko said quietly. Then he quickly added, "In a good way."
The two finally arrived near the school gymnasium. Even before entering, they could hear the sound of basketballs bouncing against the wooden floor. Shoes squeaked. Voices shouted. A coach barked instructions from inside. The air carried that familiar mix of sweat, varnished wood, and youthful energy.
Zaboru slowed down.
Takehiko noticed.
"You're excited, aren't you?" he asked gently.
Zaboru smiled like a kid. "A little."
Takehiko's smile widened slightly. "Only a little?"
"Okay, a lot."
Takehiko chuckled softly. "You really love basketball."
Zaboru did not deny it.
They stepped closer to the entrance. The gym doors were partially open, enough for the light inside to spill into the hallway. A sharp shout came from within.
And what Zaboru see inside really flabbergasted him.
To be continued.
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 50+ advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 1304
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc