A\N Since this chapter has conversations in Japanese I have used google translate so corrections will be welcome. Please remember to vote and/or comment if you are enjoying this story so far.
It has been a couple of days since the race and I am making my way through the Red Bull factory at Milton Keynes. I have a few bits of media stuff left. The annoying thing is there is a slim chance that I will be doing media stuff when I get home. It turns out that I am the first Japanese driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. An achievement that I still can't wrap my head around. Sure I had a good team of people helping me but still. As a driver, I get all of the credit. There is nothing that I can do about it. Right now I need to get through the media stuff then I can have a small break before the next race. I have decided to use my small break to visit my home. It has been a while since I last went back home. I notice that I am joined by Max.
"You're thinking of home," Max pulls me out of my thoughts.
"Of course. I haven't been back since I was announced as your teammate and how did you know?" I ask. My mind soon wanders back to the conversation that I had with my little sister about being promoted to Formula 1. I don't know what it is about Max but I feel like I can be open around him. That might not last long though.
"Well, you'll be able to go home tomorrow. As for how I knew. You had a distant look on your face so I made an educated guess," Max replies. He is just lucky that his family all live in Europe. I guess I will just have to hang on for a couple of days. At least I can come home with a victory to my name. We soon made it to the press area. Thankfully it is just Max and I answering fan questions. After an hour's worth of questions, we are finally done. Now I can make my way home. It will be a welcome change. After seven hours of travel, I made it back home. I can feel the relief wash over my body as I spot my sister who promised to pick me up whenever I came home. I reckon that she is only doing it so I can avoid my mum for as long as possible. In case you are wondering, my mum does not approve of me being a Formula 1 driver.
"Watashi wa koko ni imasu. (I'm over here.)" My sister grabs my attention. I have a bounce in my step as I join her.
"Ogenkidesuka? (how are you doing?)" I ask. It has been a while since I've seen her so I am going to ask.
"Yoi. Watashi wa tsuini anata to onajiyōni watashi ga nozonde ita shōshin o emashita. (Good. I have finally gotten the promotion that I have wanted just like you.)" She responds, getting a giggle from me.
"Toieba, okāsan to otōsan o rēsu ni shōtai suru hitsuyō ga arimasu. (Speaking of, I should invite you, mum and dad to a race.) I think out loud. It would be a little bit of fun. Plus it will be nice to show my mum that my efforts weren't wasted as she believes. My sister nods at my suggestion. I wonder if she doesn't want to say anything in case she annoys me. It doesn't take long for us to find our way out. After an hour of driving, we made it back to my family's home. Now for the awkward part.
"Okāsan, watashi wa ie ni imasu. (Mum, I'm home.)" I call out as I brace myself for the oncoming storm. I realise that calling my mum the oncoming storm is a little harsh but you will find out why quickly. She joins my sister and I with a relieved look on her face.
"Tsuini Neko. Anata wa rēsu o tsūka shimashita. Ima, anata wa akirameru koto ga dekimasu. (Finally Neko. You made it through the race. Now you can give up.)" She announces as she processes to check on me.
"Akari anata wa anata no musume o hokori ni omoubekidesu. Kanojo wa F 1 rēsu ni katta yuiitsu no nihonjin doraibādesu. (Akari you should be proud of your daughter. She is the only Japanese driver to win an F1 race.)" My dad remarks as he joins us. My mum shoots him a death glare. Nothing my dad says will put my mum's mind at ease. That's how much she disapproves of my racing career. After a brief conversation, I have decided that I am going to freshen up. To be honest I want to escape my mum. Even though I love her she has gotten on my nerves about being a Formula 1 driver. What she doesn't realise is the fact that I have worked hard to get to where I am. Plus there is more than one race. Anyway, I am probably overreacting. My mum just cares too much. I am about to get undressed for a shower when I notice a message on my phone from Yuki.
YT: I was thinking that we could meet up in a couple of days
NK: Sure. Let me know when and where
YT: You know I will
I don't bother responding as I need a shower to wake me up for the family dinner. I'm sure there are going to be a lot of questions for me. After seven minutes of cleaning up, I am ready to face the music. I am quick to join my mum in the kitchen.
"Okāsan o tetsudatte moraemasu ka? (Can I help you mum?)" I have decided to make myself useful. Sure I may not be the greatest cook but the least I can do is help.
"Īe, daijōbudesu. Karera ga tōchaku shita toki ni anata wa hokanohito o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu. (No. I'll be fine. You can help the others when they arrive.)" She replies. Ok so I can relax for a bit longer. After thirty minutes of waiting the first lot of the family arrived. I can tell by the excited knock on the door. I brace myself for the oncoming barrage of questions. I open the door. It is then that I am greeted by who I would consider to be my number one fan. The fan is my youngest cousin Akio. Seeing Akio smile makes the pain of travelling worth it.
"Kon'nichiwa Akio. Kon'nichiwa obasan Haru. Kon'nichiwa ojisan Ren," I greet the new arrivals. My uncle then proceeds to pull me into an enthusiastic hug. Aunty Haru and Akio slip past us. After another thirty minutes, the rest of the extended family arrived. It doesn't take long for the questions to start. Thankfully they are mostly related to raceing. However, disaster soon strikes.
"Neko, Anata to Yuki wa dōdesu ka? O ni-ri wa mada monodesu ka? (What about you and Yuki? Are you two still a thing?)" My sister asks, catching me off guard.
"Mazu daiichi ni, watashitachiha tada no yoi tomodachidesu. Daini ni, sore wa anata no bijinesude wa arimasen. (First of all, we are just good friends. Second of all, that's none of your business.)" I retort. I can understand why she is asking but still. After what feels like forever the family gathering has come to an end and in a nick of time. I am tired. At least catching up with my family is worth the tiredness. Especially Akio. Seeing him fangirl over me was fun. I will definitely be calling him my number one fan. It has been a few days since then and I have managed to organise something with Yuki. I am glad that we have some time to ourselves. It is something that I have missed since making the move to Europe. I couldn't tell you why I feel that way. I put it down to the fact that Yuki and I are good friends. I soon found the cafe that Yuki suggested. A smile creeps up on my face as I have spotted the man himself
"Neko," Yuki is quick to grab my attention.
"Kon'nichiwa Yuki," I greeted him as I sat down in the seat opposite to him. We soon settle into idle chit chat about various bits and pieces. It feels good not to have any pressures put on me but I do get the feeling that it is not going to last long as I will be acting as a wingman for Max. Oh well, there is nothing that I can do about that. I just need to enjoy my time at Red Bull.
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