Lying to the Race.

:: Aye Carl. How's it going with my cousin there. I heard you were dating her, holmes. So how's things between you and her. But before you something I need to tell you that she is a bit 'intense', you know Cabron. Her love is a bit 'different' from others. But she is not crazy.

She was treated very badly by her stepfather so she became so intense in doing things. He had beaten her for very small things like for being slow to walk. Because of this, she gets irked by tiniest things.

I just wanted you to accept this side of her if you are thinking of something serious with her, but just don't play with her heart Cabron. I don't want my cousin to in pain anymore. I hope you can give her the love she deserves in her life, holmes :: Cesar said in a serious tone to Carl.

'And Now I feel bad for her... though I don't regret killing her' Everybody has a past. Good, Bad, Normal. She may have a twisted mind because of the abuse she got in her childhood but that doesn't mean I will allow her to kill me while I am standing there, waiting for her to kill me.

She said she will kill me and tried to threaten me with a knife, so I acted upon it and she died.

'Why the fuck am I trying to justify it? She's dead. Who gives a fuck about her. She was a psychopath and I killed her. Case Closed.'

Carl was looking at me with pleading eyes, asking me what to say to Cesar. I parked the car to the side of the road and took out a Notebook and a pen from the Inventory.

I wrote something on the paper and showed it to Carl. Carl started reading what I have written on the paper and started saying it aloud.

"Yeah Dude, We were just talking about random stuff and the usual romantic shit happened. She said she liked me so I decided to date her, man. I know about the intense stuff and I don't have a problem with that. In fact, It is really interesting to do intense stuff with her. It's been 2 days since I have met her.... I think I will go to meet her today and go on an amo-amo-amo.." Carl said everything fine but started stuttering in the end.

He pointed to the word 'amorous' on the paper. I looked at the word, then I remembered this guy is not that literate. So I cut the word 'amorous' from the paper and added 'intimate'.

"..an intimate date. Yes, go on an intimate date with her."

:: It's nice to see you doing great with her. But you will have to delay your intimate date for later holmes as I have something very important to tell you. ::

Carl sighed as Cesar bought the lie. He then continued the conversation,

"What is it?"

Before Cesar could tell something, I got a System Notification.

[Mission Available

Mission - Wu Zi Mu]

[Accept/Decline]

'Should I accept it? I think I should as It's 8:30 in the morning and I don't have anything better to do. The dinner with Fuyumi is at 7:00 PM and I will go at around 11:30 PM to receive Eri back from La Brava's house. So..'

[Mission Accepted.]

[Objective - Race and Win the Race against Wu Zi Mu]

While I was reading the notifications, Cesar started explaining,

:: There is a race going to be organized in the countryside today. I don't know who the organizer is but what I know is that he has a big background in San Fierro. The stakes are also high in the race. That means if we win, we will get to leave this shithole of a place and go to some other place. I don't like living here like a refugee cabron! We need to win the race, I will send you the address where the starting point of the race is :: Saying this Cesar hung up the call.

Just as Cesar's call ended, Carl threw me a question, "Will he buy that lie? I don't know.. If he finds about us killing his cousin. I don't think he will want to associate with me anymore and I cannot lose my trusted people anymore and Cesar is one of the only trusted person I have." Carl muttered.

"It is not us. It's me who killed her. You had no hand in it, so just shut up and listen.

Try to act like normal in front of him and your Sister. Do not blurt out anything in front of them about our past meetings or anything. Just tell them about how I helped in defending Ballas Ambush at that day and now you met me here so I am your friend.

And don't say anything about Catalina business to them. Remember, You haven't seen her for 2 days and you were about to go on a date with her today but you decided to go to the race which Cesar invited you to. This will be a good chance for you to make your disappearance a bit more believable." I told him

"I don't think I should join this race as I don't think this is legal so Police will be involved to prevent the race from happening. I have the money you gave me so no need to rush for more money so it's not worth the risk." Carl said level-minded things, it seems he is slowly getting more mature. But I had a mission to complete.

"It is not you who is going to participate in the race. It will be me participating in the race and you will just be sitting next to me in the car." I told him about our roles in the race.

But his face had a scowl now, "I ain't no hooker who'll sit in your car, just to increase the appeal of your car during the race. I will better drive my own car in the race." He cleared his position to me.

"Don't flatter yourself Carl. Most of the people won't even find you attractive so there is no point in asking you to act as a show girl for my car in the race. I want you sit with me in the car because the winning car will be the center of attention and the organizers would want to make some connections with the winners.

It will be your best chance to make some connections to have a good backing with you when you return to Los Santos. As I told you in our previous meeting, Backing and Background is one thing that will help you the most in rescuing Sweet and reclaiming the territories which once belonged to GSF."

"Fine... But don't expect me to jerk you off or give a blowjob while you drive." Carl agreed but on certain demands.

'THIS FUCKER!! I had the most amazing sex of my life the last night and this fucker had to ruin it all in an instant!!!. Shido don't imagine it, don't imagine it...

AAAH!! I imagined it. FUCK!!! it's all in my head now. Forget it brain, Forget it..Nooo.. now I am imagining it more!! AAH!!' I was having a torture session in my mind as my brain is currently trying to kill me mentally. But I hid all the anguish and pain under the no-expression face.

I then turned to Carl who is the main perpetrator of all of suffering and mental pain I am going through now. I stopped the urge to puke and ram Carl's head on the dashboard and continued driving.

After completely diverging my focus to the road and driving for some time, My mind seem to forget about it.

'Shit, it came back. Don't think about it anymore Shido. Don't think about it. WHY MY MIND IS PLAYING THE SAME IMAGES IN LOOP????!!!!'

While I was in anguish, Carl started a new conversation,

"Hey.."

"What is it?" I didn't turned to him as I don't want those imaginations to come back.

"Are you feeling a bit sorry for her?.. I mean after Cesar told about her past." He said in a sad tone. It seems he was quite attached to her. Looks like he liked the super BDSM sessions with her.

"A bit sorry for her past but no regret in killing her. What about you?"

"I also feel sorry for her past and a bit regretful about the fact that she died." Carl had a sorry face. It is getting more and more true to me that he liked her.

"You liked her didn't you? Or are you regretful just for the fact that you were not able to dominate her during your 'love-making' sessions when she was alive." I tried to lighten the mood a bit.

"Hehe, Maybe the second reason. Maybe the first..." Carl tried to laugh but he had a solemn face.

"Mr. Chan, you could've just immobilized her right? then why go for the kill?" Carl asked me.

"First of all, I indeed could've have immobilized her but you don't know the chaos she would've spread in the future.

She was an ambitious person, Carl. As long as you are interesting or useful to her, she will be with you. But when you don't interest her anymore or your purpose has been fulfilled, She won't even have second thoughts to put a bullet in your head even if you are her 'boyfriend'.

And Second of all, My name is not Jackie Chan, it is Shido." I finally told him my real name. I feel like I got a boulder off my shoulders after telling Carl my real name.

"She-Dough, She-though.... What??" Carl mispronounced my name several times.

"Shi-Do Say it with me Shi-do." I tried to make him pronounce my name but he failed repeatedly.

"Don't be offended Mr. Chan. I know you want to separate your personal life and your professional life. And since you see me as a friend, so you want me to call you by your real name instead of Artist name but man.. it is hard to say your real name you know. So I will be going with Jackie Chan." He tried to explain his side with his hands crossed.

'Didn't I told him about me and Jackie Chan being different person? What is he on about?'

"And I don't want to disrespect you by calling you She-Hoe every time I want to call you. So Jackie Chan is the best for me I guess."

'From when my name changed to Shiho and what is he on about personal and private life.' I thought about what he said and then I had a final thought in my head,

'You know what, Fuck it.. I don't care about it anymore. if he calls me Jackie Chan. Then be it.'

"Yeah, whatever fits you."

After that, I just drove the car and Carl talked about what happened after I left.

He was threatened by Tenpenny to pay for his drugs to a person named The Truth. He had to steal a combine Harvester from a group of survivalists. After successfully delivering the harvester to the described location, The Truth praised him and told Carl that he will contact him later.

After that, it was just robbery with Catalina. A liquor store, a betting shop, and a small town bank, these were the targets of Catalina and Carl, and surprisingly they were able to pull all these robberies without much problem. He also added that he didn't wanted the money, he just wanted to do with Catalina for fun.

"You are as much as crazy as Catalina, Carl. I mean, who robs people and businesses for fun?"

"Don't judge me man. I was just doing to get to know her better, You know some quality time."

I just rolled my eyes listening to this guy's reason to rob.

...

We reached the starting location of the race but we were the only one on the place.

"Did he messaged the right location? I don't see anybody here." I asked as I got off the car.

"Nah.. The place is right but the time is wrong." Carl also got off the car.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't asked him about the timing at that time but he messaged me now that the race is 2 hours from now. So~"

"So what?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"So~ do your magic thing. Wave your hands, ABRACADABRA and BOOM A fucking race car appears for the race.."

That small act really made my eyebrows twitched. I had the urge to bang his head on the hood of the car and then repeatedly shut the trunk with his head under it. But I controlled myself. Talking to Carl really acts as a good anger management session for me.

"No, We are racing with this baby." I said and pointed to the Rancher we've been driving for so long.

"You stupid or what? The rest of the participants will be using race cars and you are thinking to use this trash can for the race."

"Yeah. I am not thinking, I am going to use this car to participate and win the race. So act like a good show girl and listen to the driver." I reminded him of his position in the car during the race.

"...Fine.. But don't say I didn't warned you." Carl said and folded his arms.

"Relax. I am going to win. I am 100% sure about this." I reassured him as I don't want Carl screaming 'WE ARE GOING TO LOSE' the entire race.

"How are you sure about this?"

"Ever heard Jackie Chan losing a competition?" I said with a smirk.

___________________________________________________________________________

(A/N: All of you chose the 2500-3000 words option, that means no change in that. And the Second Cover won the poll and as you can see the new book cover.

I couldn't make a new cover with Yandere Fuyumi in it as there are no good results for 'Yandere Fuyumi'. So I made a cover for the Slice of Life arc, with every character which participated in the arc.

Thanks for the idea LazyPanda69.)