The girl took off like a bolt after seizing the fourth flag. She was now gaining speed and was gaining it fast. Takumi started pulling the string harder to keep up with her.
400 meters were left.
--He's doing better than I expected, but that ends now.
The girl gave Takumi credit for barely being able to keep up with her. Her impression of him got better, but he was still out of her league.
The girl was ahead, leading with a speed of 150kmph. Takumi was behind her, going at 120. The distance between them was gradually increasing.
300 meters to go.
--This is bad, can't my bike go faster.
Takumi was starting to feel the pressure. 200 meters to go, it would seem the race was decided. Alex was at the finishing line, looking through a pair of binoculars. He saw the girl in the lead.
--This is going even better than I imagined.
100 meters until the finish line.
Takumi had lost hope until he heard a powerful voice.
'Don't give up, Takumi!'
Alex shouted at the top of his lungs. Takumi started praying.
--Please, God, give my bike one last push.
50 meters to go.
'Go!'
Takumi pulled the string as hard as he could and felt it broke.
--Was that supposed to happen?
Takumi started praying again, not to win the race but to survive it. The girl was in the lead, but she heard a noise which made her turn her head. An earth-shattering thunderous noise mixed with a high-pitched scream.
'What the hell!?'
--It was a lost cause if this was a test of acceleration, the Speed Freak would win, hands down. But it's another case when it comes to top-speed. The plan was to make it look like this was a fair race when the race was decided before it even started. I designed this race for two reasons;
1. To use the cylinder up more than half so it wouldn't explode when the string breaks, and there will be no limit to how much propane will enter the chamber.
I used the string so that it would break. I knew the pressure would get to Takumi, and he would break it. I didn't tell him that, of course.
2. It sure looks badass to win a race against a sports bike with a bicycle.
You don't need a sports bike to win. When there's a will, there's a way.
'Im-impossible, he is on par with me?'
They both were now neck and neck. Bring it on. The girl was now feeling the rush, and Takumi felt the stinging wind against his face with his mouth wide open. She started enjoying the race, and Takumi started pissing himself.
Alex watched it with satisfaction, knowing everything went according to plan.
--I think it's time for the finale.
It was an extremely close race that would require a high-quality camera to decide the winner. That changed when only 25 meters were to the finishing line.
Alex had told Takumi to stay to the left side of the road no matter what happens at the race's last leg. Despite being scared to hell and his senses fleeing from his body, he still managed to stay on the left side.
A small bump awaited Takumi with the 25-meter mark, which managed to lift the bike a meter up. Alex had built a small wooden ramp and covered it with dirt. With it being only 40 pounds, it flew the rest of the race.
It was a miracle as if the Gods had given his bikes wings to defy gravity.
Takumi was still screaming senselessly, but now, without any road-friction, the bike became a true Jet with an astonishing speed of 200kmph and crossed the finish line First.
The finish line was just before two trees. Straight ahead was a mattress ready to take the blow.
Takumi's hands had let go of the handle and got caught into something.
The bike crashed into the mattress, bursting in flames of glory.
Alex grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the fire.
Takumi hands had grabbed a strip of elastics bands for pants, which Alex had bought two big rolls of, and was now stuck in the tree.
The girl was still recovering from the shock of defeat.
--I…lost? To a bicycle?
She was forced to see Takumi with new eyes. Now she wasn't seeing a wimpy kid whom she had no interest in but a hardcore motorcycle racer, and it was love at first sight.
'Hey Takumi, you still alive?'
Alex called out to make sure he hadn't fainted.
'Get me out of this tree!'
'Coming.'
'I'll go.'
The girl quickly climbed the tree with amazing speed and freed him from the elastics. Thank goodness the wind had generously dried up his little accident.
'Are you hurt anywhere?'
The girl asked in a polite, sweet voice. Takumi was hurt from continuously hitting the bike and probably had trauma due to nearly dying, but he forgot all his pain when he saw her face.
'Umm…no.'
'Thank goodness.'
The girl lifted Takumi and carried him down.
--Damn, the impact was deeper than I expected, but Who Cares? Takumi is living the life.
'Do you mind if I could sometimes borrow that bike? I would love to ride it sometimes.'
'It's yours, Alex. I am never touching that thing again.'
'Cool.'
As they say, get the girl and look badass while doing it, Takumi got a girlfriend and one incredible story to tell.
*Damn, these days, you have to risk your life to get someone to like you.*