tour de fuck you;
While still away from school, he found it necessary to use his honorifics when addressing people, he felt it was only right, only natural to who he was. He’d been taken right out of the Inter High and Arakita felt different, more mature oddly enough. He wondered why that was.
He ducked into the shop after offering Arakita his thanks, unable to keep a small grin off his face. This was where he belonged, in the world of bicycles and racing, speed and precision, victory and excitement. The store wasn’t enormous, but neither was the Kanzaki Bike Shop where he’d gotten his first bicycle as a kid. That place had just what he needed, it made him fall in love and never look back from the feel of the wind in his hair and the ache in his muscles as he rode. It was electrifying.
He admired the framework on the bikes, looking for familiarity and comfort, as opposed to a new thing, an exciting thing.
“Find anything you like?”
Of course it was only natural to use honorifics when you were takling to your senpai. And Arakita definitely got the feel from the younger that he was the type to go all out and be as polite as pie. At least, those were the vibes he got from the young ace during his last and only interhigh. Hah - how bittersweet to think of it that way. It left a bad taste in his mouth for a moment, giving a nod to the thanks, at least.
At least he could do that much.
His first response to the question was a small “not really” before his gaze dropped to where he spotted that familiar teal. Maybe it was the same bike - upgrades and all? That was hopeful and wishful, but fine. Dark hues narrowed as he stepped across the small shop, picking out the bike and running his fingers along the frame, spotting the seat with the fiz’ik label. This had to be his bike. Fate just wanted him to buy back what he lost, huh? Fat chance.
“Hey, look over here!” And his tone was brighter, more cheerful now. “I think this is my bike. Maybe yours is here, too?”
