Being uncomfortable with the city of Seoul causes Jin and Xiaoyu to get lost inside the place no one would want to be…and especially to the lair of the very well-known Blood Talon
A random one-shot about how the rivalry between these two guys started…with a slight hint of Xiaoyin
IMPORTANT NOTE: I do not own anything
USELESS CURIOSITY…THE CAUSE OF A RIVALRY
SOUTH KOREA, SEOUL...
"Are you sure that the place was in this neighborhood?" said the girl walking behind her friend while looking around her...
The young man in front of her was looking around him as well but he didn't bother answering, something that angered her but she decided to let it pass, since the first thing that was worrying her right now was her empty stomach...
The pair was walking for about three hours inside the streets of Seoul. They were looking for a store, which the boy wanted to visit but they were just wandering aimlessly around for the last two hours. They even lost sight of the main street and found their way in some dark alleys and they couldn't even find a place where it was saying where they were to ask from the chauffeur to come get them. The girl didn't even know if the sun wasn't lighting the place or if it was this late that it was setting.
From the time they found themselves inside there, they passed some strip clubs, gambling centers and all these kind of things but they didn't dare going inside to ask because the girl was disgusted even with the thought of what these people were doing inside there and the boy because he didn't want for the girl to be shocked...
Suddenly, the boy turned to face her and she stopped her pace. He looked in her eyes and made her feel a little uneasy. He turned his head to look in front of him once more and said while facing her again...
"Xiao...I'm hearing voices coming from deeper inside."
She nodded...
"I'm going to check what's going on and find out where we are."
"I see...Shall we go, then?"
He shook his head negatively and noticed the confusion in her face...
"It might be dangerous. I'll go first and then I'll come to take you, ok?" he said with a smile, which was showing her that if she does this he would be at ease...
She sighed defeated and nodded. The man smiled and placed his arm around her shoulder walking her to the sidewalk and sat her down by the wall of an abandoned building...
"W-What are you..." she tried to say until he hushed her...
"You better not stand in the middle of the road all alone. Stay here and be careful. If you feel even a little bit scared don't hesitate to call me."
She nodded with a smile and that time he turned to leave until she grabbed the edge of his jacket, something which stopped him. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question...
The girl dropped her gaze at the ground and said...
"Please...B-Be careful, ok?"
The boy smiled at her. The girl was looking at his legs because she didn't want to face him, since she believed that she said something embarrassing. What's the embarrassing thing in asking from someone to be careful, anyway? Suddenly, she raised her head to look at him when she noticed him taking off his jacket and gave it to her...
"Here...Wear this. It's getting cold."
She nodded and that time he walked away. She wore the jacket and thought...
"At least I'll be feeling less lonely, if I'm having contact with Jin's scent. Oh...It's so reassuring. It's like he's here."
She was still having a smile while she was daydreaming, until she heard some noises coming from the corner of an alley some blocks behind her. Even though, she promised Jin that she would stay here, being swept away by curiosity, she decided to check it out. She was just going to take a pick, nothing much, and then come back here. She stood up and made her way there...
For a while now, an auburn haired man was having some fights with a bunch of useless idiots. They weren't even a threat for him but beating them up was giving him money. That was all that mattered to him. He had other four men around him, who were cheering for him. The tall muscular man was a leader of a street gang. They were challenging in fights for money other gangs inside the alleys of Seoul and were taking them out by taking their attention during the fight thus making them lose their focus. But it wasn't just that. This man was really skillful, he wasn't using just raw strength but he was an actual martial artist...
Xiaoyu took the corner and saw an amount of delinquents watching a fight between the other two. She was hearing cheers for the tall and muscular man but the same men were booing the other one, who was even by his appearance more weak than the other. She watched as the auburn haired was using a fighting style. It was probably Taekwondo, she thought and watched as the other one barely knew how to throw a simple punch. That was totally unfair, she thought and nodded to herself. A minute later she watched as the circle between the delinquents disbanded and the tall man kicked with extreme strength the other on the ground. They started clapping for the winner and Xiaoyu was just looking at them. That was when she thought that she should be getting back until she saw something, which angered her...
Hwoarang, as the auburn haired man was called, walked to the fallen man's side and kneeled beside him. He checked the pocket of the man's jacket and took out his wallet. He smirked and took the money the man had inside and placed them in his pocket. After that, he stood up and threw the empty wallet on his unconscious body. He started making some steps back to find his cigarettes until he heard a feminine voice...
"Ehh? That was kinda cheap...Don't you think so, guys? So unfair?!"
He turned back and made notice of a young girl leaning her body on the wall. He, then, heard one of his gang's members saying...
"Who are you? What's your busyness here?"
The girl started walking closer to them and when her whole face was visible to them. Hwoarang's eyes widened. What does a short brat as her doing here? But his instinct was telling him that a great power was "hiding" behind this girly appearance of hers. Trying to figure her out, he wasn't listening to his gang's member talking to her and her not paying them any attention. She knelt beside his last victim and looked at his face. Such a handsome face and they mauled it...Pity...After that she stood up and gazed at the man in front of her, who was just staring at her with a perplexing expression for her. Both the girl and the men around him were looking confusingly at him. That was when he noticed what he was doing. He looked at them and then at the black haired girl...
"A girl like yourself...Why are you here?" he asked…
She placed a finger under her chin and said...
"Umm...To be honest, I'd like to ask for directions. So, can you please tell me how to find the main street?"
Hwoarang smirked and walked to her side. He watched her upside down. He saw the bag she was holding in a shape of a panda and then at the excessively big jacket she was wearing in contrast to her body structure. It was probably a man's, he thought. He approached her further and placed his arm around her shoulder...
"Don't you think that you're the one being unfair here, babe?" he whispered in her ear...
"W-Wha…?" she muttered not remembering to snap his hand away from her body...
"First, you're calling us cheap and now you want our help?"
This time she removed his hand from her shoulder and made eye contact with him...
"I was just pointing things out. No reason to get angry, since you're aware of what you're doing. Am I right?" she said and smiled...
He walked to take his cigarettes and after placing one between his lips, he said...
"Of course but don't think of them as victims. They know with whom they have to deal. It's their fault for daring to come and challenge me."
She crossed her arms...
"Maybe you're right...But I noticed that you're a martial artist. Taekwondo, isn't it?"
His eyes widened. He thought that she was just a brat that didn't know where she was getting into but as it seemed, he was wrong.
"True...That's what I'm practicing."
She placed her hands behind her back holding still her bag in her hands and said...
"But for a martial artist as you, isn't one of the first lessons a thing called focus? You must be focused and whatsoever. Isn't that what these old geezers are saying to their students?"
"What's your point?" he asked...
"These guys here, I mean your minions, kept discouraging this guy and insulting him. I don't know what you think but as a martial artist that I am, myself, I wouldn't like it."
He smiled. So, it was like that. She must be a fighter as well. That intrigued him somehow that he managed to say. He lowered his body to meet her gaze...
"I get it now...You're a fighter as well, right?"
"You finally realized it. Better late than never as they say."
He chuckled and cupped with his hand her chin, something that made her frown...
She moved his hand away from her face and shook her head. What was this guy doing? Touching her like it was nothing. Only, Jin had her permission…If only he made use of it…As she thought of her friend, she remembered why she came here in the first place…
"So, are you gonna help me?"
The man sighed and made some steps back and away from her. She raised an eyebrow…
"What's wrong with this guy? Just say a "Yes" or a "No" for me to know what to do."
Suddenly, she heard his voice…This time it had a serious tone… "There's something you must know."
"But I don't want to! Such a pushy guy."
"This place here…and every part of it…It belongs solely to me."
She wanted to laugh at this. Was something wrong with his head? Maybe, being away from the sun caused some hallucinations inside him. On the other hand…There was a possibility that he really felt that way. Heihachi Mishima wasn't much different. Well, however, there was a small detail, which shows that they're actually not the same. The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu was a man, who was able to step on everything and everyone to achieve his goals. Even though, she was aware of it, she couldn't deny the fact that he had been kind to her. And then, there was this guy, who appeared like a delinquent, but he didn't emit evil vibes. That was something she was definitely not going to tell him, though…
"Hphm…And how come?"
The man smirked and with his hands he "showed" her the whole place… "My name is written all over these walls…even the ground."
She started looking around her while thinking… "All I see is this B-Blood Talon thing…Don't tell me…What a stupid guy?"
"That being said you have to be careful on how you act around here and stay on my good side…Do otherwise, babe…and you're screwed."
She crossed her arms uninterested. It wasn't the first time she heard things like that. Inside Heihachi's ship back in Hong Kong, all the Tekken Force was spouting bullshit such as these. Those guys…They still remembered that beating…Their lameness was her ticket to success…and nowadays…Jin Kazama.
"Tsk…I'm not scared in the slightest."
Deep inside he was somehow irritated. Being really impulsive it was a miracle that he managed to hide it. He started making slow steps towards her once again. She tightened her small fists. What did he have inside his "supposed" mind? She had to be on alert…
"Hm? Is that so?" he placed his hands inside his pockets… "What's gonna scare you, then?"
The young woman opposite him giggled placing her hand on her mouth. Now she was really getting on his nerves. The smirk on her face…It was showing that she really didn't consider him a threat. Could it be that she was really, indeed, strong? At first, he thought that she might have been a girl being overly happy about managing to land a kick or two…
"Hehe…If something…or…someone was supposed to scare me" she let out a sigh, thinking of these two men, who were able to scare the hell out of her… "Anyway, believe me…You wouldn't be in the list."
"You're being quite obnoxious for a girl who wants my help." He said patting her head…
An intense frown appeared above her eyes and she pushed him away. What was he doing? Touching her as he wanted…
"Forget it! I'd rather get lost than receive help by the likes of you. Jin will get mad, too."
Her annoyance got bigger when he started laughing. He crossed his arms trying to stop but his eyes were teary enough… "Chill…I'm joking. I would never hurt someone who comes in peace."
"Our surroundings show otherwise." She said as a matter of fact…
"Act like it's nothing…This punk got what he came here for in the first place. He just wasn't sure about what he actually wanted."
"But you took his money." She said pointing at his pocket…
The man shrugged his shoulders. Well…That was the point, inside "their game"… "For sure I did. How am I supposed to live?"
She rolled her eyes. As she suspected…She had to admit that this reply of his was an expected one… "There's something called a "Job", you know…" she thought…
"Listen...What about we make a bet?" he said gaining her attention…
"Bet?" she asked raising an eyebrow...
"Yep...Since you're a martial artist, I think you may make it out alive at least. You'll fight these four guys and if you win, I'll tell you how to get out of here...If you lose...Well..."
"Well what?" she asked intrigued by his sudden proposal...
"I'll leave it to you. What a delicate girl as yourself can do? What will you do for me?"
She giggled and said...
"I'll give you my phone number."
He closed his eyes and shook his head...
"That wouldn't do, I'm sorry and how am I going to be sure that it's the real one?"
"He got me…Like I was going to give him my real one. Dream on! Then?" she said realizing where he was referring...
"What about you giving me your body? Sounds fair?" he said...
She smiled and looked at him...
"You know, since you said that you will tell me something, I thought that I would repay you by telling something to you as well. In your case the way to get out of here and in my case my phone number."
"Your point?"
The girl placed her bag on the ground leaning it on the wall and said taking her fighting stance in front of them...
"My number, you can ask for it. My body, you must fight for it!"
He was amazed with what she was saying. She must be pretty confident, he thought. He, then, noticed as his gang's member's looked at him and he asked them to make their attack...
The four of them started running towards her and she prepared herself...
"Be ready, Xiao! Don't worry and focus. You're the one, who defeated Heihachi Mishima's bodyguards. You can definitely beat up a few weaklings." she thought and then smiled confidently...
Hwoarang walked back to not bother them and lightened up a second cigarette...
The cigarette fell from his lips...
In only five minutes she managed to take them out. He didn't say anything and watched as she walked to take her bag in her hands. She, then, walked in front of him and said...
"My reward, please."
He saw the satisfactory smile on her face and without warning he pulled her in his arms. Her eyes widened but she didn't even felt scared or blushed from this kind of action. He smelled her hair and said...
"Your hair smells nice..."
"What a flatterer?" she said ironically...
He wasn't bothered by her ironic words but he continued saying...
"On the other hand, the beautiful scent your hair is giving me, doesn't match the one your jacket is having. Why is that?"
"Obviously, because it's not mine! I, who I'm such a fashionable girl, would never go and buy something like this and not to mention that it's a guy's. Is he an idiot or something? Can't he tell by the size?" she thought starting to get irritated...
"Did you call me an idiot?" he said...
"Are you a psychic except from being an idiot?"
His hug became tighter and he whispered in her ear...
"So you really are calling me an idiot."
"Me? Why are you saying that?" she said sarcastically one more time...
"Whatever...Will you tell me now about this jacket of yours? Why doesn't it smell like you?"
She gritted her teeth and pushed him away releasing herself from his embrace...
"You're starting to really piss me off! What's your thing exactly with this jacket?!" she shouted at him...
He crossed his arms and looked at her whole body once again...
"I don't have something with the jacket but don't you think that it's a lot out of fashion?"
She made her hands in fists...
"Huh? What are you? Fashion police? And on the other hand, look who's talking? All those piercings on your body and that biker style of clothing you're having is really '90s like."
"Oh really?" he asked ironically...
"Yes, really!" she said nodding...
That time he said once again changing the subject...
"I'm really going to tell you how to get out this time, after one little thing."
"What this might be?"
"Simple..." he said and made some steps back... "Now you're gonna fight me."
That last sentence of his made her mouth fall. She didn't have time for that anymore. Why did she have to come anyway? Damned curiosity!
"No way! You must keep your promise."
"Like I said...If you fight me, win or not, I'll tell you."
"Huh?! That's so unfair!"
"It's not!"
"It is!"
"It's not!"
"It..."
"Xiao!?"
Both Hwoarang and Xiaoyu heard a voice coming from behind them. To Hwoarang it was unfamiliar but to Xiaoyu it was really familiar and she knew and who it was. She turned slowly her head and saw the tall black haired man trying to catch his breath...
Jin Kazama, after he came back, started looking for her. He was really worried. What if someone kidnapped her? Or hurt her? Or even worse? He was really careless. He should have taken her with him. While he was still looking for her he heard some voices and the one was familiar to him. It was hers and that put him somehow at ease. In an instant he ran to the place. There he found her arguing with a man. At least she wasn't hurt, he thought and relaxed trying to breathe normally again...
"Jin!" said Xiaoyu relieved that her friend was here and rushed to his side while he was making his way deeper inside...
Hwoarang watched as the young man touched her shoulders and asked her if she was ok or hurt. He saw her as she smiled at him sweetly and how he smiled back to her. Could they be? He could ask though and not wonder by himself...
"So...That's how it is"
The other two looked at him...
"Xiao is your name...Well, are you guys a couple?"
That was a sudden question to the other two. Xiaoyu's face became completely red and she said to the Korean man in front of her...
"N-No...No, no...Of course not! We're friends...Good friends...C-Close friends! And for you my name is Xiaoyu."
Hwoarang was taken aback by her sudden outburst, while Jin, who at first was having a hint of pink on his cheeks he turned his head as for Xiaoyu to not see him...
Jin touched his face and started thinking...
"She denied it with such vigor that it somehow bothers me...I wonder why?"
Then they watched as the man in front of them said again...
"I see...Close friends. Well, in my opinion one thing leads to another."
GAH! Both their hearts skipped a beat and they looked away from each other. Hwoarang placed his hands inside his pockets and looked confused at them. He then said...
"Whatever...What you two are having doesn't really interest me but...Xiaoyu?"
She looked at him...
"W-What?"
"We still have an agreement, right?"
She felt as Jin was looking at her and before she was ready to answer she heard him...
"What agreement is he talking about, Xiao? Did he do anything to you?" he said and looked suspiciously at him...
"Don't mind him, Jin! He's just a cheater. We should go. Sooner or later we will find our way out of here. We're both fighters anyway, we're not going to get hurt."
Hwoarang smiled. So the other guy was a fighter as well. He seemed muscular, that was true. For a moment he thought of testing him. He was a man and he wouldn't have to go easy on him...
Xiaoyu grabbed Jin's arm and when they were finally ready to leave they heard him saying...
"Oh...So your friend is also a fighter."
Xiaoyu sighed desperately...
"I would suggest you to not pick a fight with him."
"Is that so?" he said and looked at Jin, who was frowning at him...
"Yeah...I mean, if you want to continue beating people up."
Jin looked at Xiaoyu and asked her...
"Xiao...Did he harm you?"
She shook negatively her head trying to reassure him until she heard Hwoarang saying...
"Oh, I don't know about that. Since you are so close, you could better check her out later at home but nevermind, you said that you're friends so..."
"What are you..." for a moment Jin felt really worried. What if this man had dared to hurt Xiaoyu in that way? But after thinking of it calmly he realized that she was never going to let that happen to her... "If you wish to fight me, you should have said so earlier. Don't include Xiao by dirtying her like that. On the other hand, she was never going to let a guy like you touch her in any way."...
Xiaoyu nodded smiling to herself...
"That's true Jin but I wouldn't mind being touched, like the way you mean it, by you. Eh?! What am I saying? Jin is my friend...Just that!"
Hwoarang smirked after hearing this. He looked at the man in front of him and then at the girl, who was hugging his arm...
"So, you're willing to fight me?"
Jin smiled a little...
"Why not? I have nothing to lose."
"Jin? We're already late. Shouldn't we head back?" said Xiaoyu...
For a moment, Jin was silent but after a while he looked at Xiaoyu and said...
"And whose fault is it? Who left the place I asked her to wait? Who made me worry so much?"
She scratched the back of her head feeling guilty. Jin was right. If she had just stayed to the place he asked her to wait for him, they would have already left...
"Well..."
"At least you must let me have a fight to release my stress or else I'm going to let it out on you."
Xiaoyu started daydreaming again...
"It depends on how you're going to do that."
"Xiao?" said Jin trying to get her attention...
"W-What?"
He pointed a place on the wall and said...
"Go there and wait for me. DO NOT MOVE A MUSCLE!"
Xiaoyu nodded and ran there. Jin, after making sure that she did as he asked her, he turned and faced the man in front of him. Hwoarang was smiling while he was watching them having a small argument. He then saw the man looking at him and said...
"So...Shall we begin?"
Jin nodded and they started fighting. When people from outside the alley took notice of the big fight, which was taking place inside, they started coming to watch. Hwoarang had underestimated Jin and so did he, since he believed that he was a mere street fighting brawler. They were fighting for a while now and the public was getting even more excited. Xiaoyu, even though she wanted like crazy to go and cheer on Jin, was sitting by leaning her back on the wall on the ground. How was Jin doing? She was positive that he would be victorious but you never know and as she witnessed before Hwoarang was an excellent fighter. For the time being she decided that she shouldn't disobey her friend but the public booing him made her blood boil. She stood up and ran inside the crowd. She heard of how they were cheering for Hwoarang and how they were trying to make Jin lose his focus. That angered her. She pushed the two who were standing in front of her aside and screamed trying to cheer for her friend...
"DON'T LET THEM GET TO YOU, JIN! KICK...HIS...ASS!"
Even though, Jin didn't look at her, he heard her clearly and wanted to give her a smile but he had to stay focused in the fight...
Thirty minutes later and while the majority of the public left leaving only Hwoarang's gang members behind the fight finished, though it didn't have a winner. The two men were trying to catch their breaths. Sweat was falling from their bodies to the ground. Xiaoyu knelt beside Jin and asked him, while taking out of her bag a small towel she was having and her bottle with water...
"Jin? Are you ok? I mean, yeah, you are but still is there a place you're really hurt?"
He shook his head not having the strength to talk yet. Xiaoyu smiled a little and after wetting a little the towel she started to wipe away Jin's sweat from his face. While she was doing that she heard Jin saying to the man, who was trying to stand up...
"I guess it's a draw...It was a good fight."
Hwoarang didn't say anything. Xiaoyu after finishing taking care of Jin's sweat she asked him...
"Would you like some water? Well, I had some but..."
Jin touched her hand, which was holding the bottle and said...
"Sure...Thank you, Xiao!"
She smiled and gave him the bottle and he started drinking. Xiaoyu was watching him and for a moment she thought of asking Hwoarang if he was ok. She turned her head to face him and that time she noticed the auburn haired man as he was ready to kick Jin on his head. Xiaoyu didn't even think about it. She stood up instinctively and after managing to grab his leg, something which shocked him, she twisted it and he fell on the ground. Jin was shocked as well. A second before she was there kneeling beside him and the other she stood up and made another man fall on the ground. He was looking at her back, which was facing him and then listened to her saying...
"How dare you? Don't you have a little self-respect? If you were to do that in an official tournament you would be disqualified and not only that but you were gonna lose all the respect each one of the fighters hold for the other one."
Hwoarang rolled his eyes at her...
"Who said I agreed that it was a draw?"
That's true...He didn't say anything like that but Xiaoyu still had something to say. She always had, anyway, even if she was wrong...
"That's right you didn't and the same thing could have been said by Jin. Since while I was taking care of him you were still one with the ground. If I wouldn't interfere, Jin would have already given you the final blow, you get it?"
He smiled and stood up...
"You're quite something...let me apologize. I shouldn't have done that and indeed, it was a really good fight."
Xiaoyu nodded and watched as Jin started to get up...
"Since you understand, you're forgiven...And, anyway, are you ok with your body? Are you hurt somewhere?"
Hwoarang smiled and shook his head. Then, he saw the girl taking off the jacket...
"Jin, wear your jacket back. You're sweating and I don't want you to get sick."
Jin nodded and wore the jacket...
"So, it was his..." Hwoarang thought... "Hey listen! When you get out of here, turn to your left and walk from there. When you see an abandoned strip club, turn there and walk straight. Soon you'll be on the main street. There are no people there so you'll be safe."
Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow...
"How so?"
Hwoarang smiled ironically...
"Didn't I tell you just now? The strip club is abandoned."
She rolled her eyes and then watched at Jin's side. That time the pair started to walk outside the alley until Xiaoyu stopped her walking and turned to face Hwoarang...
"Thanks!" she said and saw as he smiled at her...
She turned her head but now she heard him saying...
"Hey?"
Jin looked back as well this time. He saw as Hwoarang pointed at him and asked him...
"As you noticed I'm practicing Taekwondo. What's your fighting style?"
Jin looked at first on the ground and Xiaoyu looked concerned at him. She knew that for an unknown reason, Jin didn't want to talk about that...
"I'm practicing my family's fighting style." he said and raised his head to face a confused Hwoarang...
"You mean?"
Jin looked back motioning for Xiaoyu to do the same and said...
"Mishima Style Karate"
Hwoarang's expression changed wholly. He was completely surprised...
"You're a Mishima?!"
Jin didn't have any other choice but to nod. He was a Mishima anyway. That was the truth...
"And something last if I may..."
"What is it?" asked Jin...
"What's your whole name?" Hwoarang remembered that Xiaoyu called him once "Jin"…
"Why do you ask?"
Hwoarang smiled. It was the first time in his life he was going to say something like this...
"I don't understand the meaning of this question? Shouldn't I know my rival's name?"
"Rival?" thought both Xiaoyu and Jin...
At first, he didn't answer and he started to walk away alongside Xiaoyu. Finally, he said...
"My name is Jin Kazama."
Xiaoyu smiled at Jin. By telling him his name, he acknowledged Hwoarang as his rival. That was interesting she thought. Soon after they walked outside the alley...
However, Hwoarang was thinking...
"He's a Mishima Style Karate martial artist and then his name is Kazama? What the hell?"
On the other hand, he didn't let this bother him much, since it wasn't his busyness...
"Jin Kazama, eh? I'll make sure to remember that name. He's my first rival, anyway." he thought and lightened up another cigarette...
Thanks for reading!
(I hope you liked it)