The Real Prize

By: Liv-x-Case-Benson

Ch. 1: By Chance

The evening after the Grand Prix race had racer Haruka Tenoh in First place. It was a proud moment. A moment of accomplishment. Something the talented sandy-haired, blue-eyed racer had worked hard for. She'd started young. Her friend had let her watch him race at 12. Two years later, she had an urge to be on one. Feel the wind in her hair, breeze whipping her face. It was exhilarating. Like nothing she'd ever felt before.

Haruka was out having drink with a few fellow racers whom she considered 'friends' in the sport. None, however, had been racing as long as she had.

The bar was crowded, overly so, and noisy as was typical of a Saturday night with the football game on a giant flat screen TV at the front of the bar. Sports, other than motocross, weren't really her thing. Though most thought it odd, since, at first glance, her apparel attracted women instead of men. Not that she accepted dates of the sort.

So were the benefits of never wanting to be thought of as 'girly'. Plus, every guy she'd been out with had dumped her because they hated women who hit harder than they did. Haruka sighed. She'd find someone. Somebody would come along and make her life worth more than just racing.

Going out drink, especially alone, wasn't Michiru Kaioh's forte. She rarely drank, period. But something about the night had led her here. Maybe it was because her longest relationship of three years had ended abruptly tonight when she threw him out for smelling another woman's cologne on the collar of his shirt. Of course, he'd been drunk when he'd returned to her place, hours later and threatening to never let her leave.

So, she'd come here, knowing he'd never look for her in a place like this.

As the night slowly progressed, the aqua-haired beauty turned down many men. She just wasn't ready for anything as it seemed much too soon.

Haruka was on her second beer when she noticed a particularly beautiful woman sitting at a nearly empty table. By her hair, makeup and clothes two things were obvious: one, she'd never been to a bar before and two, she didn't belong in one. Half an hour later, her 'friends' had dispersed to various parts of the bar chatting up the drunk, single women who were tired of being single, but Haruka's eyes still lingered on the aqua-haired beauty at the nearly-empty table.

She looked to be genuinely upset. Never wanting to see a beautiful woman cry, beer in hand, Haruka walked over. "Excuse me, miss?"

Michiru looked up from her glass of wine, startled a bit, eyes red. "Y-yes?" she wiped her eyes, looking up. "D-do I know you?" Assuming as every woman who had talked to Haruka had, she brushed her off. "I-I'm not interested in anything, thank you."

Haruka shook her head, offering her a tissue from her pocket. "That wasn't my intention."

"It...wasn't?" Michiru asked, dabbing her eyes. "Then what was your intention?"

Haruka shrugged. "I've just always hated to see beautiful women cry. Do you mind if I join you?"

Michiru smiled gently. "If you want."

Haruka sat across from her.

"Are you in some kind of sport?" she asked, taking in her attire.

"Oh. Yeah. I, uh, I race dirt bikes."

Michiru smiled. "I've always admired men who play sports. They're...tough, macho, but you don't seem – what's so funny?" she asked upon seeing Haruka laugh.

"Well, I'll assume my clothes threw you off," she said with a large grin, "but, miss, uh, I'm no man."

"Oh," the aqua-haired woman said with a deep crimson coloring her face. "I-I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. By the way," she said, extending her hand, "I'm Haruka. Haruka Tenoh."

She took it. "Michiru Kaioh. Nice to meet you."

"W-wait. Michiru Kaioh, the famous violinist? That Michiru?" Haruka asked. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

Michiru shrugged. "Life problems," she said, sipping her wine. "I'm not about to spill my guts to someone I've just met."

Haruka smiled. "I understand that. So what else do you do besides play the violin?"

Michiru sipped at her wine. "I paint when I'm not at a recital."

"Oh?" the blonde asked. "What kind of things do you paint?"

"The outdoor landscape, pretty flowers. Nature," she replied.

"Sounds nice." Haruka didn't know why, but there was something that stood out about this beautiful woman. Her eyes held a light that was somehow trapped within immense sadness. It was out of the ordinary for her to recognize such things about a stranger for the blonde, which proved how different she was.

"It is. I've played the violin sine I was a child. Painting I just picked up recently," Michiru said, finishing her wine.

"Would you like another glass? I'll buy," Haruka offered.

The aqua-haired beauty shook her head. "No. I-I should go," she said, standing before pulling on her jacket. Laying some money on the table.

Haruka pushed it back, laying her own twenty dollar bill on the table. "I've got this." She said with a smile. "Always a pleasure to talk with a beautiful woman."

Michiru blushed. "Th-thank you."

The blonde smiled. "Anytime. Can I walk you to your car?" Haruka offered. She'd paid Michiru notice long before walking over – long enough to know she'd only had a single glass and would be okay.

Michiru nodded, cautiously looking over her shoulder as they walked out.

Haruka noticed. "Is someone waiting for you?"

Michiru shook her head. "N-no," she said with a tremble in her voice.

The blonde wrapped an arm around her, slipping something into her pocket. "You don't have to say anything, but if you need something, my card is in your jacket pocket."

She nodded as her new friend walked her to her car, opening her door for her. "Thanks Haruka."

Haruka nodded. "You're welcome," she said with a smile as she closed the door before getting into her bike, strapping on her helmet and speeding off into the distance.

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