The next morning after waking up I was determined to make everything right again. After the emotional mess of the previous night, I knew I had to do something special…. Something to create a fresh start. And what better way to start fresh than with a motorbike ride?
But first, I needed the bike. So, I called Abdul and Joseph to tag along to the bike store…
The second Joseph's face popped up on my phone screen, I growled under my breath.
"Joseph, you mother fucker…."
He grinned, completely unrepentant. "Hey!!! Nice to hear from you too, Shin. Survived the night, I see…"
"Barely…" I muttered. "But when I get my hands on you…."
Joseph laughed. "Come on, you can't stay mad at me forever. Let's go buy that bike! Consider it therapy..."
"Therapy?" I scoffed. "The only therapy I need is strangling you to death…"
We arrived at a shiny bike dealership, with rows of motorcycles gleaming under the bright showroom lights. The place was filled with speed demons, touring beasts, and elegant cruisers. It was very difficult to choose among them. I needed something perfect… something that wasn't just a machine, but a symbol of freedom and a new beginning for Maki and me…
As I gazed at the rows of bikes, Abdul and Joseph immediately started bickering about what I should get…
Abdul gave me a thoughtful look. "You should go for a family-friendly cruiser… something comfortable for two people... Something safe… You and Maki will be riding together, after all…"
Joseph snorted, standing next to a sleek racing bike. "No way. You're not buying a grandpa-mobile, Shin. Look at this beauty!!! Sleek, fast, and sexy. This thing screams 'freedom...'" He slapped the seat of the bike with a grin. "Trust me, bro, get this one. Speed is life!!!"
Abdul gave him a side-eye saying, "Speed is death..."
Joseph waved him off. "Don't be so dramatic..."
I stared at both bikes. I was totally confused about what to get. Joseph and Abdul immediately launched into a hilarious argument…
Abdul crossed his arms. "Maki will appreciate a bike where she won't feel like she's clinging for her dear life. Look at this one... a cruiser with a backrest. Comfortable and practical..."
Joseph scoffed. "Comfortable is boring, my friend. Shin needs something that'll make Maki's heart race…" He revved the racing bike's throttle with a grin. "Nothing says 'I love you' like high-speed adrenaline!!!"
Abdul raised an eyebrow. "Nothing says 'I love you' like a hospital visit…"
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Do you two ever agree on anything?!...."
"Not when you involve motorbikes and common sense…." Abdul muttered.
"Common sense is overrated…" Joseph replied with a shrug. "Go fast, or go home…"
Abdul shook his head. "Shin, listen to me. You just got off thin ice with Maki. You really want to risk a fight by showing up with a race bike?!...."
Joseph grinned. "Or she might think it's cool. Ever consider that, Einstein?.."
After twenty minutes of them going back and forth, I finally gave in to Abdul's practical advice and picked a family-friendly cruiser… it was sleek but comfortable, with plenty of space for two people and long rides….
Joseph groaned dramatically. "Fine, but you better at least install some racing stripes…"
Abdul clapped me on the back with a satisfied grin. "Smart choice. You're going to need her happy if you want to live long enough to ride it..."
The new bike sat gleaming in the driveway, ready for its first journey. I gripped the keys nervously, standing in front of Maki, who sat cross-legged on the couch, scrolling through her phone with cold air around her…
I jingled the keys, forcing a smile.
"So... what do you say? Let's go for a ride? Just the two of us. Fresh air, beautiful roads. We'll leave all the bad stuff behind."
Maki didn't even look up from her phone. "No…"
I sighed, trying not to let the crushing disappointment show.
"Come on, Maki. It'll be fun. I bought this bike with you in mind..."
Her eyes flicked toward me, deadpan and unmoved. "Oh, so now you remember me!!..."
"Ouch. That one stung. I deserve that." I nodded solemnly. "I do. But I'm trying to make things right. Please, just one ride..."
She leaned back, crossing her arms. "So now you want to make things right? After four weeks of radio silence?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Let me guess…. you think a bike ride is going to erase everything?"
"Of course, not..." I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "But... it's a start?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I'm still mad at you."
"I know…" I muttered, desperate now. "But please, Maki. Just one ride. For old times' sake. Remember when we were kids and we used to ride around town on my old bike? You'd sit on the back, and I'd pedal us everywhere... Remember that time when we fell into the ditch that one time?!...."
A flicker of nostalgia crossed her face, but she quickly masked it. "You mean the time I told you not to ride through the mud but you did it anyway? And then I got all covered in mud…"
I gave her my best puppy-eyed look. "Exactly. And you still forgave me…"
"Barely…"
I sighed dramatically, clasping my hands together, "Please, Maki. Don't let me die a lonely man who can only talk to Joseph and Abdul for the rest of his days. I'll do anything. I'll buy you ice cream. I'll clean the house for a week. A month! Just come with me…"
Maki stared at me for a long moment, pretending to think it over. I could tell she was enjoying watching me squirm. But then, her expression softened… just a bit…. as she looked away, her voice quieter, "...I missed you, idiot…"
She sighed, the tiniest smile forming at the corner of her lips, "Fine. One ride. But don't think this means you're off the hook, Shin Takamiya…."
I grinned, feeling a surge of relief. "Deal!!! You won't regret it... I promise…."
"Yeah…yeah…" she grumbled as she stood and made her way to the door. "If this bike ride ends in disaster, I'm leaving you at the side of the road..."
"That's fair…", I said, grinning. I could already feel how good the ride was going to be. "It will be good, I promise…"
She rolled her eyes. "You better…"
We stepped outside to the bike, and I handed her a shiny new helmet I had picked just for her.
"I got this for you. Matches the bike..."
Maki gave it a skeptical look, raising an eyebrow. "It better not mess up my hair…"
I chuckled. "I'd say your hair's already perfect, but I know I'm still in the doghouse, so I'll just say... I'll fix it for you afterward..."
She smirked, slipping the helmet on. "Smart answer…"
I swung my leg over the bike and revved the engine.
"Alright, hop on..."
Maki hesitated for a second, as if thinking whether to bail out at the last moment… but then she climbed onto the back seat, wrapping her arms around my waist…just like old times...
"Hold on tight!!!...." I said, grinning like a kid.
Maki huffed. "If you throw me off, I'm divorcing you..."
"No pressure, then…" I teased, and with that, we took off down the street.
On the side of Joseph and Abdul:
With Shin and Maki speeding off into the countryside on their shiny new bike, Joseph and Abdul were already on their trail, riding stealthily in Joseph's brand-new black SUV. The two of them had worn ridiculous disguises…
Joseph had gone all out with a cheap baseball cap, oversized sunglasses, and a bandana around his neck… looking more like an undercover rockstar than a stealthy spy. Meanwhile, Abdul wore a scarf wrapped around his head and a pair of dark glasses that made him look like a tired desert explorer…
"This feels insanely wrong…..." Abdul muttered for the fifth time, sinking lower into his seat as they tailed Shin and Maki from a safe distance. "If Shin finds out, he's going to murder us both. And if Maki finds out…. well, we won't even live long enough to apologize…"
Joseph grinned, steering the car with one hand while casually sipping from a can of soda with the other. "Relax, Abdul. It's all in good fun. Just think of it as... moral support..."
Abdul shot him a flat look. "Moral support?... My ass…. We're literally stalking them right now…."
As they trailed Shin's bike through the city streets, Joseph acted like he was starring in an action movie. He drove the SUV with exaggerated caution, hiding behind other vehicles at every traffic light and ducking his head dramatically every time Shin glanced in the rearview mirrors…
"What are you doing?!..." Abdul hissed, clutching the door handle. "We're in a car, Joseph. You can't hide behind a bus like we're in a spy movie!!!..."
Joseph gave a sly grin. "Yes, we can. Rule number one of spying: blend in…"
"Rule number two should be: don't get us killed…" Abdul muttered under his breath as Joseph narrowly avoided a truck while changing lanes without signaling.
As the bike picked up speed, Joseph leaned forward, squinting at the road ahead. "We need to stay close, but not too close. It's all about the art of stealth…"
"We are in a giant SUV, Joseph…" Abdul groaned. "There is nothing stealthy about this…"
Joseph tapped the steering wheel thoughtfully. "You know, maybe if we turn off the headlights..."
"Don't you dare…." Abdul's voice was sharp. "The last thing we need is for the police to pull us over. Imagine explaining that to Shin: 'Oh yeah, we got arrested because Joseph thought turning off the headlights would make us invisible while following you….'"
Joseph chuckled. "You have no vision, Abdul. That's your problem..."
Abdul slumped lower in his seat, rubbing his forehead. "My only problem is agreeing to come with you…"
Back to Shin:
As we drove down the road with a cool breeze whizzing past us a wave of relief washed over me…. Maki's arms wrapped around my waist, and her head leaned against my back. It felt comforting…. yet there was still that unresolved tension between the two of us that needed to be cleared….
Suddenly, I spotted a path branching off the main road. The path led through a field lined with tall grass and wildflowers. The sunlight filtered through the leaves and cast a warm glow over the landscape….
I leaned back slightly to speak to Maki, "Hang tight… I want to take a detour…"
"Why?!..." she asked suspiciously, her voice muffled by the helmet.
"You'll like it…." I smiled. "Trust me..."
Maki sighed, her grip on me loosening just a bit as if to say, Fine, but you're still in trouble…
I turned the bike off the road and into the field. The path snaked its way through the reeds of tall grass - it swayed softly in the breeze, dotted with tiny clusters of wildflowers that added vibrant color to the scenery…
I slowed down the bike a bit to enjoy the moment. The scent of wildflowers filled the air and the only two natural sounds were the hum of the engine and the gentle hiss of the wind….
"Maki!!!" I began, my voice low and careful. "I really am sorry..."
I felt her stir slightly behind me, she tightened her hold as if preparing for what I was going to say.
"I know I messed up. I know I should've called, or texted, or anything, but I didn't, and that was wrong…." I continued my voice slightly cracked. "I didn't mean to hurt you…"
Maki didn't say a word, and the silence between us was thick.
"Come on, Maki…" I added, heart aching. "You know I'm an idiot. A huge idiot. But you're the only one I care about… no one else…. "
For a couple of moments, she said nothing. Then, after a sigh, she leaned her chin against my shoulder.
"You really hurt me, Shin…" she whispered in my ear, her voice quiet but it was filled with emotion.
I could feel the sadness in her words, the weight of the loneliness she felt during my absence…
"I waited here, alone, thinking about you the entire time…" she admitted, her voice trembling. "And after I saw that video… the one with the bartender... and the dancer..."
Her words broke my heart. "Maki... it wasn't what it looked like..."
"I know…" she said softly. "But it still hurts…" She paused.
"I... It felt like I didn't matter to you…" she whispered.
I slowed the bike even more, the wheels barely turning as we moved slowly through the sea of grass and flowers. "You do matter to me, Maki. You're everything to me..."
She exhaled, resting her forehead against my back. "You better not ever look at another girl like that again…"
I smiled, "I won't. I promise. No more bartenders. No more dancers. Just you..."
She gave a soft, reluctant chuckle. "You better keep that promise, Takamiya. Or next time, I will cut your dick off…."
I could feel her softening against me, though she was trying hard to hold on to her anger.
"Can you forgive me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Maki hesitated for a moment, before finally letting out a small sigh. "I guess I can't stay mad forever... but you owe me. Big time..."
Relief flooded over me, and I grinned. "Deal. Whatever you want. I'll buy you ice cream, flowers, a whole mountain if you ask for it…"
Maki laughed softly, and the sound was like music to my ears. "Just don't disappear on me again, okay?"
"Never again…" I promised.
She squeezed me a little closer and tighter, and I felt the last remnants of tension melt away. It was as if we'd finally found our way back to each other.
The little track carved a way through the field, and the tall grass caressed the sides of the bike, while wildflowers glistened in soft light. The air smelled fresh and alive, and I felt truly at peace….
Maki shifted behind me; her arms wrapped firmly around my waist…
"Okay…" she said, her voice soft but playful. "I forgive you..."
I let out a breath, "Thank God. I thought you were going to make me suffer for weeks..."
"I was thinking about it…" she teased, resting her cheek against my shoulder. "But I figured I'd give you a break... for now…."
"You're too kind…" I laughed, feeling the warmth of her against me. "I don't deserve you..."
"You really don't…" she quipped, and I could hear the smile in her voice.
TO BE CONTINUED