Rating: PG-13/M(?)
Warning: Innuendo, making fun of boys and their...*ahem* "issues"
Pairing: none

Compensation Factor
( Size Counts )

Takahashi Keisuke looked at his bright yellow FD. "It's not true," he stated in what he had hoped was an adamant tone, firm with conviction, but unfortunately a little hint of doubt crept into his voice anyway. "Aniki? It's not true, right?"

Ryousuke looked at his own RX-7 reflectively. "Well," he bit his lip in a very un-Aniki-like manner, belying his nervousness. "Well, I don't *think* so… But, I mean, how are we going to check?"

Keisuke opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by an outburst from Nakazato Takeshi.

"No! Absolutely not! *You* might be "close" to your aniki, but I'm *not* and I have *no* intention of changing our current relationship!" Takeshi's eyes flashed wildly (a little bit of anger, a *lot* of fear).

"B…but," Keisuke stuttered. "Now I really want to know!" he wailed.

Ryousuke patted the blonde head absently. "There, there, otouto-chan, I'm sure it doesn't make a difference anyway. Bigger isn't always better."

Keisuke's lower lip trembled. "The FC is longer… isn't it?" he asked his beloved aniki tremulously.

"Hai…" Ryousuke's voice trailed off.

"So the FD is smaller?" Keisuke tried to keep his tone low, he didn't want to get an ego boost at the expense of his brother.

"Yeah," Takeshi's lips curled in an evil smile, "but yours is flashier, not to mention *wider*. You know what they say about Porsche owners, right? And this despite the fact that Porsches are among the smallest of cars."

Keisuke's lips tightened, but once again he was interrupted from his retaliation.

"But the Skyline is longer *and* wider than *both* the RX-7s! And it's louder to boot!" Kenta shot out, fists balled tightly at his sides. "Keisuke-sempai has nothing to compensate for!"

Keisuke thought he was going to die. Ryousuke choked. Takeshi's eyebrow twitched.

"I mean, there's no cause for him to have an inferiority complex cuz–mmmf!"

Keisuke clapped his hand over Kenta's runaway mouth.

"Well, well, *little* Kenta, the Silvia isn't a small car either," Takeshi gritted out snidely.

"Hey!" Kenji suddenly interjected. "If loudness counts, then…" he pointed wildly at the 2 Lanevos, desperate to draw attention away from the *other* Silvia driver present.

"Yah, but souping up your car beyond its natural limit says something too!" Seiji yelled back.

"So does covering your car with useless stickers!" Wataru screeched from the corner where he was sulking.

All eyes turned on the Takahashi brothers.

"Wha~~~t…?" Keisuke asked irritably. "Aniki, we don't have to stand for this. Let's go!" he whined lightly, pulling at his brother's sleeve.

Ryousuke skritched his head. "Aa… ye~~ah…" he replied slowly, brain still trying to process all this new data.

The rest of the drivers silently looked at their own cars, contemplating the implications of their current conversation. Quite subdued, they all prepared to leave the gallery.

Shingo, meanwhile, was leaning on the roof of his Civic hatchback, smirking. He ran an appraising eye over the panda AE86 parked next to him.

"Looks like it's just you and me, ne?" Shingo leered at the blank-faced, tofu-delivery boy.

"Aa?" Takumi scratched his cheek. "Iie," he replied, pointing.

Shingo's leer fell off his face as his eyes followed Takumi's finger. There, standing sheepishly next to his *little*, *old*, not flashy, not loud, not speedy, totally *un*modified AE85, was Itsuki.

"U…uso…" Shingo muttered, backing up. "Oi! Nakazato! Matte!" he yelled, waving at his team leader while desperately climbing into his car. "After all, it's not the size that counts, it's what you do with it, na!"

"Or the packaging it comes in," Takumi shuddered as he eyed Itsuki suspiciously.

THE END