Part one draft

Hisao gestured weakly in the direction of the other man, his actions hampered slightly by the seatbelt across his chest.

"You know I hate it when you smoke in the car."

The figure seated beside him didn't look over, but at least deigned to reply. "I know."

"Yet there you sit," Hisao sighed. "With a lit cigarette in your mouth."

"I know."

"I mean, you asked me to come along, right? You need me here?" Hisao knew his voice was a little louder than was strictly polite in the cramped confines of a two person car, but he couldn't help himself.

"Yeah."

The other man's short, uninterested responses were a stark contrast to Hisao's rising agitation. Hisao shifted in his seat, to stare directly at the eyes lit only by the embers at the end of the smoking white cylinder.

"Well, you need me here. You want me to stay." Hisao felt the blood rushing to his face and knew that he wasn't going to be able to keep the anger out of his voice. He realized that trying would be pointless. "So, then,  can you put out your fucking cigarette so I can do just that and help you get what you need? A few hours. That's all I ask. Two hours out of the last ten fucking years. Put that thing out so I can keep my voice and my heart in working order."

There was another pause. Longer than before.

"Okay."

Hisao watched in silence as his old friend reached down, rolled down his window and flicked his cigarette outside.

"There, are you happy now?"

Now its Hisao's turn to fall silent, and he simply gave a curt nod.

Kenji gave a brief nod back.