Author's Notes: Hey everyone! Here’s the next chapter, sorry it took so long.
From Here to There and Back Again
Chapter 2 - Surprise, surprise
“Kazama??!! What the fuck!?” Hwoarang couldn’t help but stare at Jin open-mouthed. He obviously had not been expecting this at all...
“Um, hi Hwoarang,” Jin wearily said upon hearing the redhead’s own exclamation. “What the heck’s going on here?”
Hwoarang then smirked, slyly turning around to face Xiaoyu and Miharu with a sarcastic smile upon his face. “Oh I think I have a good idea what’s going on.”
“Well...” Miharu began, trying to find the right words, “We wanted it to be a...”
“Surprise!” Ling happily stated.
“Surprise?” Everyone heard Jin inquire as he placed his sunglasses atop his head while walking towards the others.
“I knew it...” the Korean leeringly sighed, looking down at the light pavement, “I just knew there had to be a catch to me getting to spend the week here with two girls all by myself...”
Once Jin reached the others, his glance immediately fell on Xiaoyu’s bright face. “You mean he didn’t know, either?” he asked, his expression clearly showing his discontent with the abrupt revelation.
“What?!” Hwoarang exclaimed once more, “You mean Kazama actually knew about this?! I can’t believe you would all stoop so low!”
“Oh come on, Hwoarang!” Jin said in a flustered tone, “I only found out several minutes ago, and can’t you think about anything besides ass-kicking for one second?”
Hwoarang then grabbed Jin by the arm, rapidly pulling him a few feet away from where Miharu and Xiaoyu stood baffled. He then moved closer to Jin, face-to-face. “Two girls, all to myself, Kazama? I think it’s rather obvious I was thinking about something else besides kicking.”
“Sick... You’re just sick, Hwoarang,” Jin sighed. He then tried to walk away, but Hwoarang swiftly grasped Jin at the collar of his white, button-down shirt.
“You better keep that mouth of yours shut when around me, Kazama, unless you want the girls to see you get your ass kicked right in front of them?”
“Hmm, and I thought I was the one who kicked your ass?” Jin smiled.
Hwoarang then raised his fist, but felt Miharu’s eager grasp on his arm before he could launch anything at Kazama, while Xiaoyu did the same thing to Jin.
“Guys, this is stupid!” Xiaoyu pouted, “Can’t we all just get along?”
Jin then nodded and said ‘yes’, though Hwoarang had shaken his head and replied ‘no’, at the exact same time.
“Maybe it would be better if I just left...” Jin sighed once more.
“You’re not leaving, Kazama!” Hwoarang exclaimed, as the other three suddenly looked perplexed. The redhead knew he had to think fast. “Don’t you see what these two have set up for us?” he asked Jin, “This is simply just another challenge, and let me tell you right now that Hwoarang the Blood Talon doesn’t back down from any challenge!”
“Good, it’s settled then,” Xiaoyu cheered, “Now, let’s go in and get you guys settled.”
With a slight sneer, Hwoarang sauntered over to his Harley, retrieving an average-sized cameo bag while the others waited.
Jin couldn’t help but sigh yet again as he once more turned his glance to Ling. “Why didn’t you tell him, Xiao?”
“Because I knew you two would start something like this,” Xiaoyu casually replied, “And besides, it looks like he’s okay with everything now.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Hwoarang said as he slung the camouflaged bag he held over his shoulder and proceeded to follow the others. Upon reaching the house’s open, cream-coloured door, Xiaoyu and Miharu led the way for Jin and Hwoarang to follow, as the guys were immediately greeted by yet another bright face.
“Why, hello there!” A middle aged, and relatively attractive Chinese woman exclaimed, instantaneously pacing over to Hwoarang, who was the closer of the two guys to where she stood
“Uh, hi,” Hwoarang smiled.
“You must be Kazama Jin,” the woman greeted, “My little Xiaoyu has told me so much about you!” she then turned her glance to Xiao, “You’re right, he is a hunk.”
Xiaoyu then blushed a shade of crimson, while Miharu laughed, Jin chuckled, and Hwoarang just sighed yet again.
“Whoa, whoa, lady. I ain’t Kazama,” the redhead corrected.
“That’d be me,” Jin said, extending her hand to the woman.
“Oh, I see. I’m Ling Sammi, Xiaoyu’s mother.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jin smiled.
Somewhat anxious to avoid anymore embarrassing accusations, Xiaoyu quickly spoke up. “Thanks mom, I’ll show them up stairs now.” she then began to lead the other three in the nearby stair’s direction.
“Mmm, hao kan, Xiaoyu,” Sammi winked.
“Okay, what the hell did that mean?” Hwoarang whispered, once out of hearing range from Xiao’s mother.
“Oh nothing,” Xiaoyu quickly assured, though Miharu and Jin obviously knew due to the smirks clearly present on their faces, which just angered Hwoarang even more. The young Ling then led everyone down the wide hallway, which was lined with various paintings and Chinese works of art, until they came upon the room on the very end. “Okay, here we are guys.”
“Damn,” Hwoarang then whistled slightly, noting the room’s vastness in size and in decorousness. “So, uh, who gets to stay in here?”
“Um, you and Jin both do...” Xiaoyu trailed off when seeing the matching expression on both Jin’s, and Hwoarang’s face – the type of expression that clearly reads: ‘what the hell?!’
Hwoarang then started to laugh, “Ha ha, whoo, you really had be going there for a second, Xiaoyu.”
“Err, she’s not joking, Hwoarang,” Miharu spoke up, when Xiaoyu didn’t.
The Korean then did one of those casual turnarounds to face Jin, a smirk on his face.
Jin held up his hands in the classic ‘stop’ motion. “Now this I did not know about,” Jin hurriedly assured.
“How long have you guys been planning this?!” Hwoarang demanded.
“Hey, I didn’t even know about you,” Jin abruptly replied, “I knew I was coming for a visit today, but I didn’t even know you would be here until Xiaoyu called me on my cellular less than an hour ago while I was still driving.”
“Right...” Hwoarang sarcastically replied, taking another look around the large bedroom as he stepped inside. “Now tell me, do any of you see a problem with the whole picture of me and Kazama sharing this room?”
“What, you might kill each other, or something?” Xiaoyu shrugged.
Miharu then realized what Hwoarang truly was getting at. “There’s only one bed...”
“Exactly,” Hwoarang muttered.
“Well... it is king-sized, at least...” Jin also muttered.
There was then a silence for a few moments, when Miharu had finally had enough of everyone just mutely standing in once place with their arms folded. “Oh come one, guys! Xiao and I share a bed all the time!”
“But that’s different,” Hwoarang accused.
“How so?” Miharu asked.
“We’re rivals,” Hwoarang quickly replied, “The concept of sharing a bed with the same sex has nothing to do with it!”
Miharu, Xiaoyu, and Jin each then had their own form of questionable looks on their faces.
“You knew what I meant by that!” the redhead retorted.
“Hey,” Xiaoyu spoke up once more, “What do you say we each take one of you guys on a small tour around here before the sun sets,” Xiao then winked at Miharu, “Then we’ll have time to go out to eat or something later on?”
“Okay, sure,” Hwoarang shrugged, as Jin did the same.
“You know, you really are lucky, Miharu,” Hwoarang said as he and Miharu continued to walk along the path witch led to the medium-sized dojo out back.
“How so?”
“A lot of reasons, really,” Hwoarang sighed, “You don’t have to work your ass off for money, and you have parents.”
“Yeah... well having parents isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be,” Miharu replied, “If they don’t trust you and respect you, it can be pretty hard sometimes... my parents are just so hard on me.”
“Even if they’re hard on ya, it’s only to make you stronger,” Hwoarang assured.
Miharu’s brows furrowed slightly. She already knew Hwoarang didn’t have known parents. “Are you thinking or Doo San Baek, by any chance?”
“He was the closest thing I ever had to real family, even though he was always pretty damn harsh, though nice in general,” Hwoarang replied, “I convinced myself that I had to pay back those fuckers who were responsible for Baek’s death... That monster Ogre, and those damned Mishimas. Baek was still always there for me...”
Just like Xiao’s always been there for me... “You know...” Miharu steadily began, “Jin never played any role in Heihachi’s plans other than the helpless victim... he was nothing more to his grandfather than bait to lure Ogre to the third tournament... and Ogre did get Jun, Jin’s mother, as well, along with Wang Jinrey, Xiao’s former master...”
“I know,” Hwoarang simply replied, acting like he didn’t really want to talk about the subject anymore.
“Okay now, let’s take a look at the dojo,” Miharu said upon reaching it at the end up the stone path.
Hwoarang held the door open for Hirano, and then walked in after her, once more admiring the surroundings.
“Maybe we can have some fun sparring matches here later on?”
“Yeah... maybe we can?” Hwoarang smiled.
Jin and Xiaoyu, meanwhile, were checking out the exquisite gardens.
“This is very nice, Xiaoyu,” Jin complimented, “All of the fragrant flowers here remind me of the ones my mother used to grow.”
“Thanks!” Ling replied, “I take care of many of them myself.”
They then continued walking, as the sun continued to set, the clouds fluently coloured in different, beautiful shades.
“I’m really glad you’re here, Jin...” Xiaoyu suddenly said out of nowhere, timidly facing the ground, “I-I was worried...”
“How come?”
“Well... I care for you Jin,” Xiaoyu then couldn’t help but blush slightly.
Jin smiled, “It’s nice to know someone does... Back where I’ve been staying in Brisbane, I don’t even talk to anyone... and those I did talk to, never even knew my real name. This went on for two years straight...”
“I don’t see how anyone can stand being alone in the world for so long?”
“I use to say I didn’t care, and that I didn’t need anybody other than myself, but I just don’t know anymore...” Jin tranquilly spoke, “I let the hatred get to me... when you’re alone; hatred just taints you so much more easily...”
“Jin...” Xiaoyu suddenly stopped, taking Jin’s hands into her own, and looking up into his dark, but warm eyes, “I never got a chance to thank you, for what you tried to do for me...”
“What do you mean?” Jin romantically whispered.
“You know... for how you tried to worn me of the fourth tournament’s dangers... the e-mail you sent me,” Ling smiled, taking a step closer to Jin to where their bodies were only several inches apart.
“...What e-mail?” Jin asked, and right as he said this, he swore he heard the abrupt sound of a record scratch come out of no where...
Author’s note: I’ll see when I can have the next chapter up. It probably shouldn’t take too long, and I promise things will get more interesting soon. ^_^ I hope, at least...lol.
Return to Archive | next | previous