Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: Hey, long time, no see, everyone. It's been awhile with school and work and everything, but I'm glad to be back. Well, this is the sequel to my 'The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6: When Souls and Hearts Clash' … kind of. Well, when I was beginning this one, I started relaying everything that had happened in the time between both stories when I realized something: the prologue is very long. So, after some consideration, I decided to give the prologue its due, and turn it into its own entry. Warning: this first chapter is pretty much pure sugar, so please forgive me if it sends you into insulin shock. I think I was just in a euphoric mood at the time, and it was good writing, so I decided to include it. Maybe it's the joy of Holiday time. However, I will be uploading this alongside the second one (I think), so it shouldn't be too bad. Now, let's get on with it; I've kept you waiting long enough. And here … we … go:
The Seventh Rave War Prelude
Two Years Later…
He was definitely nervous, extremely, incredibly, unbelievably nervous. He had faced and beaten some of the biggest, baddest, and best fighters in the world; he had turned almost the entire world to ash and was now rebuilding it from ground up, possibly better than it was before; not to mention, he was fighting the Devil himself, and, with help, he was winning. And yet, on this night ... Jin Kazama was actually nervous.
Back and forth in his private home office, moving in and out of the light of his small desk lamp, his crisp and neat tuxedo swaying along with his every move, Jin paced anxiously, nearly wearing a trench in the floor, as he tried to ease himself.
"Tonight's the night; I'm definitely going to do it," Jin spoke openly to himself, trying to build up his courage, "Tonight, I'm going to…" Suddenly, he took an extended pause as the words seemed to get caught in his throat before letting out an anxious sigh, continuing, "I can't even say it… I wish you were… No, I have to do this on my own; I can't back out now… Come on, Jin; pull yourself together."
Trying to give himself some extra motivation, Jin reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the symbol of the situation he was in or rather the case the symbol was carried in: a small, suede-covered box. Jin soon found himself staring at it, thinking about what it meant, what he was about to do, … and how it would change everything.
"I can do this … can't I," Jin asked himself aloud with a very uncertain tone.
A moment later, there was a soft knock at the door, causing Jin to reluctantly allow entry.
"Jin-kun," a soft, female voice gently floated into the room as the door slowly opened.
Upon hearing the voice, Jin quickly shoved the box back into his pocket, almost having an instant panic attack, and spun around just in time … to see Xiaoyu coming into the room. Before he could think of anything else, he could only stare at her. She looked stunning, her body hugged perfectly by her long black dress, her hands fitted into elbow-high silk gloves, her neck adorned with the special jade necklace that Jin had given her the year before, her hair flowing freely down to her shoulders.
"Jin-kun, are you alright," she asked, "You've been in here a long time."
Jin, trying to sound calm as he buried his nerves deep within himself, explained away, saying, "I'm fine, Xiao-chan. I'm just … a little tired, that's all."
Noticing something further about him, Xiaoyu inquired with slight concern, "Are you sure? You look a little pale."
"Yes, I'm alright, Xiao-chan" Jin fibbed to keep his anxiety at bay, "There's nothing to worry about."
For some reason, Xiaoyu didn't completely believe him; he just didn't look okay, and she could tell. This, however, brought another question to Xiaoyu's mind: if he wasn't feeling okay, then why was he hiding it? Despite his extensive effort to calm himself, Jin slowly felt his panic to starting to push through, his hands tightly shoved in his pockets yet starting to shake uncontrollably, his brow starting to condensate, his body suddenly feeling a lot hotter than before.
"Are you really sure you're okay, Jin-kun," Xiaoyu asked one more time, trying to ease her suspicions.
Jin plainly stated, "Positive."
She wasn't sure what it was, but Xiaoyu couldn't shake the nagging feeling within herself. Despite what Jin was saying, she couldn't help but think something was off about him. Her suspicion just wouldn't go away quietly. Just by looking at the look on Xiaoyu's face, Jin could tell she wasn't buying it, so rapidly he changed the subject.
"Please, don't worry, Xiao-chan," Jin calmly said, "Besides, tonight is your night after all. I bet everyone's waiting for the guest of honor now."
Xiaoyu, pushing her notions aside, playfully responded, "Oh, and I thought this was all for some global announcement of yours and Lee-sama's."
"On the surface maybe," Jin replied, "but honestly … it's really for you."
Xiaoyu lit up at that comment, a vibrant smile emerged on her face. Slowly, she then moved closer to Jin until she was almost against him.
Xiaoyu then happily said, "You're very good to me, Jin-kun; thank you so much."
"No need to thank me," Jin charmingly replied, "It's no problem. Just make sure you have a good time, okay?"
As habit, Jin leaned in close and lightly pressed his lips against her, giving her brief kiss, but he didn't have a chance to pull back. Quickly, Xiaoyu held Jin by the back of his head, stopping him, pulled him back toward her, and gave him a deeper, passionate kiss. Now, Jin wasn't sure if it was his nervousness or something else, but this time, this kiss, it was as if Xiaoyu was kissing him in stereo: The kiss itself seemed deeper, her lips seemed softer, her mouth seemed warmer, more tempting, and tasted sweeter; it was unbelievable, and … he didn't want it to end. Finally, after several moments that seemed too short, they slowly pulled away.
"I really love you, Jin-kun," Xiaoyu said in subtle delight.
"And I you," Jin replied shakily and short of breath.
Xiaoyu smiled again at this comment, flashing a brilliant and tender smile that Jin was all too familiar with, and moved to make her exit. Just as she reached the door, she stopped.
"See you downstairs, Jin-kun," Xiaoyu said, turning back to see him.
Jin absently replied, "Yeah, see you downstairs."
Satisfied and content, Xiaoyu exited the room. Jin let out a sigh of disbelief because of the kiss … and partly because he didn't pass out. Soon, as he reflected on what he just experienced, he realized once again what he had to do. Even though his anxiety and nervousness remained, he no longer doubted his decision. Once again, Jin pulled the small suede box from his pocket.
"Well, I guess that settles it," he quietly breathed to himself as he flipped open the top, "I definitely have to do it now…"
Jin continued to reflect as he stared at the contents. He reviewed, revisited, and relived every moment he and Xiaoyu shared over those past two years and even before then. He saw again every laugh, every smile, every tear, every hardship, and every connection they had together. Now, they had reached their ultimate point; they all now centered on the one object in this box: a brilliant cut pink diamond set on a white gold ring, both of the highest grade.
As he stared at the exquisite piece of jewelry, Jin silently said to himself in realization, "Tonight … really is … THE night."
---
Jin stood silently in the midst of the rather large formal gathering, one of dual purpose. On the surface, this was the sight of a historic announcement, a step forward in the company's rehabilitation efforts. That night, Jin and Lee were going to announce that they were placing leaders in charge in all countries under the company, and pulling out all military personnel. This was a sign that all significant work had been completed in those lands, and it also essentially meant that they were relinquishing their control over them. That was what the public and majority of the Kazama G staff knew about.
However, the higher circle in the company, Jin, Lee, Lili, and those around them, knew the real reason why Jin arranged all of this. They knew the announcement was nothing but a smokescreen, just an excuse for a celebration. Xiaoyu was turning 21 on this day; it was no surprise or mystery to anyone who knew Jin as to why this party was really set up.
Nevertheless, as he stood amongst the gatherers, Jin slowly picked out the inner circle of the company, his peers, his friends. He soon spotted Lee, also outfitted in a custom-tailored tuxedo, with two guests, Anna Williams, in a signature red dress, and Leo Kliesen, the short, blond-haired newcomer, the spelunker who actually found the diamond for the ring, wearing a blue dress; it was fairly obvious to Jin that Leo was more or less uncomfortable in this setting especially since Jin until then had only seen her in casual, androgynous clothing, just jeans and a shirt mostly. Oddly enough to Jin, Lee seemed to be showing Leo more attention than Anna. Jin wasn't expecting that at all; if anything, Jin expected the opposite. In fact, Jin started to think that Lee was trying to… Well, anything's possible Jin thought.
Jin's eyes soon laid on Lili and Hwoarang. The orange-haired Korean seemed out of place too … until the Monegasque heiress came to him. She seemed to be teasing or complementing him because she was laughing and joking while she generally observed his outfit with her hands, brushing his shoulders, tugging the front of his jacket, shimmying his tie, and whatnot; Meanwhile, he seemed embarrassed and a little mortified; he even blushed a little. But, even more strangely, once she talked to him, he quickly calmed down and even started smiling. No girl that Jin could remember had ever been able to do that. Then, they just stopped and started staring at each other until they slowly starting getting closer … and closer … and closer until … someone suddenly interrupted them trying to get Lili's attention. As the person pulled the obviously reluctant Lili from Hwoarang, Jin couldn't help but wonder. Were they really about…
Nevertheless, Jin continued his search and spotted everyone. He saw Christie dancing next to Steve; she of course moved naturally while he looked a bit stiff. In actuality, it was sort of funny watching them dancing so differently and yet in such close proximity, so much so that Jin could barely pull his eyes away. After a moment, he managed, and spotted near the bar Nina, who of course was dressed very nicely and attracted a small crowd of men that admired her from afar; none of them would actually approach her for whatever reason, whether it was from nerves, intimidation, or anxiety. Of course, it didn't help that she looked generally bored by the whole event, and often gave an icy stare to whichever man approached her. Jin wasn't surprised by this at all as he knew that Nina always noticed the circle of guys like that, and hated that they would just hovered around her while they built up the courage to say something useless to her. A swarm of annoying flies is what Jin remember her calling them.
Jin then spied Asuka moving about the floor, talking to every head of staff for the party. Asuka had been great those past two years, more of a sister than a cousin. She and Jin had talked into the night countless times, about everything and anything. Asuka had reminded him of all the things about Jun that Jin had forgotten over the years, and, in return, Jin relayed everything it meant to have known and loved her personally. Even that night, Asuka was making sure everything was perfect; this party for Xiaoyu was as much from her as it was from Jin. However, Asuka did not know what else Jin had planned for the evening.
After recognizing everyone's presence, Jin began looking for the one person he wanted to talk to, but Xiaoyu was nowhere to be found. Jin continued scanning the crowd, but, before he could even get a glimpse of her, Lee spotted and quickly approached him.
"Mr. Kazama," Lee called out in a surprisingly proper tone.
"Mr. Chaolan," Jin replied in jest before asking, "Why so formal, Lee?"
Lee then said with seriousness, "Well, I have a slight business matter to discuss with you: that … satellite station you launched last month. After all, I am your partner; I'd liked to be clued in on those types of projects."
"Oh, that," Jin replied, remembering he hadn't told Lee about it, and explained, "That was … a personal investment; I paid for it with my own money. It's just in the emergency that … a certain duo ever resurfaces."
Lee let out a slight chuckle and said, "Well, I'm not sure how that connects, but, if I'm not mistaken, I have full control over one of them, and no one has seen or heard from the other since the last tournament."
Jin, now getting serious, plainly stated, "Better safe than sorry; you know all-too-well how stubborn those two can be."
Seeing the truth in that, Lee echoed the statement, "How true; how true." Lee then remembered just what Jin was planning that night, and casually inquired, "In any case, how are you on the … situation, Jin-san?"
Jin, brought screaming back into his anxiety about his decision, restlessly relayed, "I've had to wait so long because of all the work that needed to be done, but now that's over. I'm going to do it tonight, but .. I'm a bundle of nerves right now, Lee-sama."
Lee had to laugh at that, if not for humor, then at least for irony.
Lee let out a laugh as he commented, "Now, I've heard everything. The stoic, ever-calm Jin Kazama is actually rattled by something."
Quickly, Jin moved to give him a look, but pulled back when he realized Lee had a point. Plus, Jin really needed some help with this; a death stare wasn't really in him now, not to mention wouldn't help him get over his nervousness. Still, he tried to give Lee a look, but it came out more as somber and in trouble than angry. Lee picked up on it immediately, and realized that this is serious for Jin; Lee had to help his nephew.
"Look, you'll be fine," Lee spoke with wisdom and empathy, "Stop thinking about, and just go for it; you won't have peace until you do, and this won't wait forever. You're not having doubts, are you?"
Jin took in everything Lee said, and confidently responded, "No, I have no doubts about this. You're right; the decision is clear. I'm just going to do it. In fact, I'll go do it right now." With that, just before Jin jetted off to find Xiaoyu before his courage wore off, he turned back to uncle saying, "Thanks, Lee-sama. See you later; you're a lifesaver."
Happy to be of some help, Lee replied with a smile as Jin disappeared into the crowd, "Anytime."
Not merely looking with his eyes, Jin walked through the party, searching for Xiaoyu. Just then, Hwoarang and Lili, who had moved near the music by this point, spotted him moving through the crowd. This was a perfect time for them to execute their little plan. If it worked the way it was supposed to, then Xiaoyu would get a nice birthday present, and it would be a harmless little prank on Jin as well. With that in mind, Lili quickly made her way to the audio stand, and picked up a microphone.
"Listen, everyone. May I please have your attention," Lili spoke into the microphone, her proper, accented voice booming through the hall, "As you all know, we are here to celebrate a step forward in this company, but, in addition to that, this is also a gathering to honor a special member of ours, an executive of our entertainment department not to mention the mastermind behind our widely-successful franchise of 'Dawn's Rain' amusement parks, a young lady who's had a significant impact on this company especially one particular Co-CEO, one Ms. Ling Xiaoyu."
At that, just as Hwoarang had instructed, a spotlight shone right on Xiaoyu, drawing a round of applause by the attendance of people . Xiaoyu wasn't expecting such recognition at all, but, flattered and honored by the sentiment, accepted it with great aplomb, simply smiling, bowing to the crowd in appreciation of applause, and thanking them.
Giving a smile to Xiaoyu in return, Lili continued with her speech, projecting into the microphone, "Now in celebration of this your 21st birthday, a few of us have set up a small gift for you: a special dance with your special someone, Mr. Jin Kazama."
Jin, still lost in the crowd, immediately froze from utter shock as his stomach practically dropped into his shoes. What did she just say? Did she just say a … dance? Was she serious?
Jin could only muster a confused and disorientated, "What?!"
Quickly, Jin looked for the nearest exit, but, before he could even find it, the spotlight, under Hwoarang's direction, found and shone right on him. That was it; he was caught now. As he slowly turned toward the light, the crowd around him parted like the proverbial Red Sea, leaving a path to the dance floor. Jin, having no choice now, slowly moved forward with the applause of everyone at his back, and met in the center of the floor the one person he wanted to find: Xiaoyu; he had looked for her all over, only to find her where he can't talk to her. Xiaoyu was obviously ecstatic. She never expected this as she knew Jin wasn't high on public displays, but that only made this even more special; she loved that he put himself aside for her.
With an especially bright smile, Xiaoyu exclaimed, "Jin-kun, you are too much. Are you really serious? Are we really going to dance in front of all these people?"
"Yeah," Jin said, trying to stop his heart attack, half talking to himself as well, "…but there's no one else around. It's just you and me."
Taking a deep breath and steeling himself for what was coming next, Jin walked over and whispered the music request to the audio personnel. Once the music was ready, Jin returned to his ecstatic partner, Xiaoyu, and they both got into dance position: they both connected at one hand, Jin placed his other hand behind her waist, and Xiaoyu placed her other hand around Jin's neck. Jin took one last breath, and gave a nod to signal the song. In response, they began to move to the song playing … a salsa song.
Not only did Jin and Xiaoyu dance in tune to unexpected tune, but they danced perfectly to the music. They glided across the floor, spun, and moved their hips with seeming ease and excellence, as if they'd being doing it their whole lives. The crowd-turned-audience loved it, clapping and cheering as they danced. Asuka and Lili, neither of whom expected this sight, couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of it. Meanwhile, Hwoarang just watched in disbelief with his mouth dropping like an anvil. Finally, after dancing a good number, Jin and Xiaoyu gave a spectacular finish, and received a large round of applause as they bowed to the crowd and to each other. With that, Xiaoyu took Jin's hand as he escorted her away from the dance floor. Not soon after disappearing back into the crowd, Jin and Xiaoyu were met by a still stunned Hwoarang.
Hwoarang could only ask Jin in disbelief, "You … can salsa ?!?!"
"Yes," Jin simply replied with a smile before noticing the look on Hwoarang's face and explaining, "… what, you didn't think I was just sitting up in my office all day, did you?"
Xiaoyu, still on cloud nine after the dance, happily added, "Jin-kun and I have been taking lessons for a while now, but we'd never danced in front of others before. It was so exciting and so fun." She went on to say as she briefly flung her arms around Hwoarang's neck, "Thank you so much, Hwoarang-san, and tell everyone else that I said thank you too. That was one of the best birthday presents I've ever gotten."
"Yes, it was," Jin complied before trying to move on, "Xiao-chan, do you think I can talk to you in private, please?"
Unsure of the reason or the subject, Xiaoyu unassumingly replied, "Um … sure."
Jin and Xiaoyu began to leave for a more quiet spot, but, before they could get very far, Hwoarang held Jin back, grabbing his arm.
"Wait a second, Kazama," he said, "I have to talk…"
In a slight hurry, Jin interrupted, saying, "Not right now, Hwoarang. I really have to talk to Xiao-chan."
Thinking that was the end of it, Jin started to leave again, but Hwoarang held fast to Jin's arm; he wasn't going to let Jin get away that easily.
Questioning Jin's motives, Hwoarang inquired somewhat indignantly, "Come on; is it really that important?"
Without hesitation, Jin turned the grasp around, grabbing Hwoarang by the shirt and pulling him close while giving him an angered glare.
"Trust me; it's very important," Jin growled at Hwoarang.
Hwoarang, a bit shaken by Jin's snap reaction, nonetheless persisted, "That look doesn't scare me, Kazama. What could possibly be that important?"
Backing up a little but still irritated, Jin carefully whispered so Xiaoyu couldn't hear, "I have to … ask her something."
Hwoarang was only more confused by this. What could Jin want to ask Xiaoyu that was so important that he would be on edge like that? As he studied Jin's attitude and demeanor, Hwoarang thought hard ... until it hit him suddenly and violently.
"Oh," Hwoarang said, finally realizing what Jin was talking about, "sorry about that, Kazama."
With that, Jin released Hwoarang, straightened his shirt as a pseudo-apology, and returned to Xiaoyu's side.
"What did you and Hwoarang talk about," She asked.
Quickly dismissing it, Jin simply replied, "It was nothing. Let's just get to a more quiet spot, okay?"
With that, Jin and Xiaoyu made their way out of the ballroom, leaving Hwoarang in stunned silence. Soon, Asuka and Lili, who had also seen them exit, approached Hwoarang about their whereabouts.
"Where are they going," Asuka asked.
Thinking quickly, Hwoarang responded, "I'm not sure , but I have an idea. And if I'm right, then we have some work to do … and fast."
---
Now far away from the noise, the crowd, and the music, Jin and Xiaoyu arrived out behind the mansion in the garden to a beautiful night with a bright moon and stars, not a cloud in the sky. After walking a ways into the garden, they came to rest on a stone bench.
Admiring the night sky, Xiaoyu doted, "The sky looks beautiful tonight, doesn't it, Jin-kun?"
"Yeah, but," Jin replied as he focused on Xiaoyu, "not nearly as much as a certain someone … and I'm looking at her."
Xiaoyu gave a beaming smile after that and started to blush as well; Jin was in rare form today she realized.
"Tonight has been amazing, Jin-kun." She said tenderly, "Thank you so much for everything."
Out of habit, Xiaoyu kissed Jin, lightly pressing her lips against his. Then, she remembered why they were outside in the first place.
Inquiring, Xiaoyu asked with genuinely peaked interest and a warm smile, "Oh, you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Well …yes," Jin shakily replied.
This was it, now or never. Jin had to stop for a moment to compose himself. He took several, subtle deep breaths to try to stop his racing heart and cool the fire in his chest. He gripped the legs of his pants to dry his hands and to stop his own legs from quaking. He closed his eyes to try to clear the noise in his mind and order his thoughts. Xiaoyu, ever attentive, easily noticed these little things, and, though she didn't know just what it meant, grew slightly concerned by then. Now, somewhat prepared and resolved to the fact that these signs wouldn't completely go away, Jin pushed forward.
With nervousness somewhat evident in his voice, Jin began, "Xiao-chan, I'm not sure how to say this… I've never really been good at this sort of thing, and … I'm not sure I can find the words. But … I have something to tell you."
Try as she might, Xiaoyu could not sense what Jin could want to tell her; she just wasn't sure what to expect. Nevertheless, Xiaoyu could tell it was important, and she didn't feel a need to dread it, so just went along with it.
Unassumingly, Xiaoyu kindly inquired, "Okay, Jin-kun. What is it?"
"Here we go; here goes nothing" Jin thought to himself. Taking one more breath and holding her hand affectionately in his, Jin expressed himself as the words came to him, "These past two years with you have been … some of the best of my life. You have made me … the happiest I've been … in a very long time, in years even. You've done … so much for me in this time, and … you've really changed my life. And I … I don't … want this to end. I want to do as much for you … as you've done for me. Xiao-chan, I … I love you and I know I want to be with you … always…"
At this point, Jin slowly slid off the bench, and dropped to one knee. Xiaoyu, in response, let out a surprised gasp, raising a hand to cover her now-open mouth, as Jin extracted the small-suede box from his pocket.
Shakily and nervous out of his mind, Jin let the rest out, "Ling Xiaoyu, Xiao-chan, will you … will you marry me?"
All Xiaoyu could do was stare at Jin and the gorgeous ring that seemed to be glowing in the night. Like a shot, Xiaoyu was rapidly overwhelmed by emotion. She wasn't sure whether to laugh, smile, or cry, but she knew one thing: she wasn't definitely speechless. Jin, having just laid himself out and noticing Xiaoyu's speechlessness, quickly began to panic even worse than before as he all could do was just freeze in the kneeling position he was in. Soon, however, Xiaoyu couldn't hold it in any longer; she laughed happily as she shed tears of bliss.
Completely overjoyed, Xiao answered through her tears, "Yes. Yes, I will, Jin-kun. A thousand times, Yes."
Now, Jin was fine, no signs of nervousness or apprehension to be found, although he was still slightly shaking; this however was a result of his now-perpetual excitement. Making it official, Jin easily slipped the ring onto Xiaoyu's ring finger, garnering another round of happy laughs and joyous tears from her. As Jin rose to his feet, Xiaoyu sprang up as well and tightly hugged him about his neck, Jin hugging her around her waist in response. Soon, both of their lips found their ways to each other as they locked in a very expressive and deeply passionate kiss that made Jin hold Xiaoyu even closer, and made Xiaoyu lightly grip Jin's hair, and the kiss remained locked for a while with neither wanting to part or for it to end. It was evident that this was one of those kisses, one that makes both parties weak in the knees, requires exploding fireworks when it's in the movies, and that both people seem to feel with every inch of their bodies, a kiss from heart to heart. After separating from fulfillment of the moment (and the need for oxygen), Jin and Xiaoyu were quickly caught off-guard by the sound of a loud cheer coming from inside the mansion.
"Gee, what has them so excited," Xiaoyu wondered aloud as she wiped some of her tears away.
"We'll find out later," Jin said, refocusing on the event at hand, "Right now though, all I'm thinking about is you. I was so worried you would say no. But, Xiao-chan … you … you said yes; I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't"
Xiaoyu, still a little teary-eyed, gazed amorously into Jin's eyes and responded with love, "Of course, I accepted; I wouldn't. This is the best present I've ever gotten; it's better than anything I could have ever hoped for. I love you so much.
This time, Jin smiled, and the two affectionately embraced once more. As a pair has tendency to do when sharing such a tender embrace, Jin and Xiaoyu gently rocked back and forth as they enjoyed just being close, completely awash in the rapture and passion of the moment.
"Let's go tell the others," Xiaoyu suggested happily after a while.
Agreeing, Jin replied, "Alright."
With that, Jin and Xiaoyu separated and, hand-in-hand, walked back to the mansion, but they were not expecting who was waiting for them inside. As soon as the couple came walking through the door, Jin and Xiaoyu were bombarded by cheers and applause; Right in the room leading into the mansion, the whole circle of friends was waiting for Jin and Xiaoyu. Everyone from Eddy to Anna, Hwoarang to Lili, and Lee to Asuka was clapping and cheering them; even Nina was smiling.
"Congratulations," the friends all said unison.
Quietly, Xiaoyu couldn't help but ask Jin, "How do they know?"
Jin, after a brief scan of the room, saw the reason and, pointing to a television in corner of the room, replied, "That's how."
On the television was a live camera feed of a certain spot in the garden … the spot Jin and Xiaoyu had just been in. Jin remembered that he had security cameras there, and obviously, someone had routed the feed to the television.
"Okay, who set this up," Jin asked.
Immediately, everyone pointed at Hwoarang, garnering a very surprised look from Jin. Hwoarang, definitely catching the implication, quickly responded.
"What," Hwoarang spoke out in defense of the notion, "Sure I had help, but … I do the wiring in my bike; is it that hard to believe that I can reroute a camera?
Jin started rubbing his forehead, a sign to those who know Jin of his irritation, and got a look on his face as if someone had force fed him lemons. It was understandable as what was a special moment was actually not as private as he'd hoped, not to mention he'd said some things that he probably only intended for Xiaoyu to hear. Soon, Jin covered his face with his free hand and his shoulders started bobbing up and down. No one knew what that meant.
Hwoarang, trying to quickly rectify the situation, said in an apologetic tone, "Calm down, Kazama. If it means anything, we couldn't get the sound working. We didn't hear anything you didn't want us to hear."
To everyone's surprise, Jin uncovered his mouth, and let out what was happening: … he was laughing; Jin was caught in fit of amused laughter. Everyone (except for Xiaoyu) was stunned by the thought of it. First, he shows he can dance, and now … Jin Kazama was actually … laughing. Jin couldn't help himself; he was too excited, too at ease, too overjoyed to be upset. As such, all he could do was laugh.
"Well," Jin said as his laughter but not his smile broke, "I guess you already know what we're about to tell you."
Xiaoyu, too delighted to hold it in, confirmed it anyway, "Jin-kun and I … are getting married."
Almost group collapsed upon the couple, the guys congratulating and giving friendly sentiments to Jin and the girls doing the same for Xiaoyu. But, through the whole scenario, Jin and Xiaoyu's hands remained interlocked, the hands that held coming toward the mansion never separating. It was a symbol of the union they shared and about to make official, an emblem of the bond in their hearts.
End Chapter
Next Chapter: "Oh, I have an idea, and I better hurry; they could be in there all day."
A/N: Alright, that was chapter one, chapter two is coming. Thank you for staying with me through this little tangent of mine, and I hope you enjoyed it. For those looking for more action, I promise that I will get to business in the next chapter. Thanks again, everyone, I'm glad to be back, and I hope you come back to see me again. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.