Chapter 2

Xiaoyu sat on her luggage bag while Julia stood close talking on her phone. "What? So, did you know she was coming?"

"Um, yes and... no." Hwoarang replied.

"You know, you could just ask me, Julia! You don't have to interrogate him as if I'm not around."

"Julia, I will tell you what I can when we all get settled in for teh night."

"Ok." Julia sighed. "See you soon." She put her phone away and looked at Xiaoyu. "So, what brings you to Korea?"

Xiaoyu yawned as she answered. "I don't know. I was just sent here."

"Who sent you?"

"My grandfather."

"Oh."

"He said I needed a vacation, but I know that it's really because he doesn't like the idea of me being in the same house with a guy who is so handsome and-" She stopped as her face turned a little red. "You get the idea, overprotective grandfather."

"But you're living with Heihachi."

"Yes, but Heihachi agreed to this. They both felt it was time to give us a break from each other."

"They just sent you here, alone with no place to stay?"

"No. They told me to find Hwoarang or Baek."

Julia smiled. "I am so glad you and I get to spend the week together in Korea!"

"I hope I don't interfere with you and Hwoarng's plans."

"Oh you know Hwoarang..." Julia sat beside Xiaoyu. "Sometimes his plans are worth interfering." She looked at the time on her phone. "Well, I guess we'll be pretty darn tired by the time we lay our heads down for rest."

"What time is it?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Almost 2 AM."

"Don't you find it odd that we got here this late at the same time?" Xiaoyu stood up and stretched. "Its almost as if our parents or mentors planned this."

"Maybe so..."

Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at Julia, "Your wouldn't have let you come all this way to stay a week with Hwoarang." She leaned closer towards Julia, cocking her head the other way. "Did you come her without her permission?"

Julia sighed, "She wasn't particularly fond of the idea."

"So, you rebelled."

"No, I had permission to leave. I had permission to leave the country. I even had eprmission to come here. I do not have her blessing to spend any night alone with Hwoarang in the same room."

"I guess that makes me the chaperone!"

"Now, does that really make sense?" Julia teased. "I'm the older one of us two and you have the least of rites to be a chaperone if Mr. Mishima and your grandfather AGREED you and Jin needed a vacation from each other."

Xiaoyu put her hands on her hips, "I don't think I like such an implication from the tone of your voice."

"Relax, I'm only joking." Julia walked to the window and looked out. "He should be here by now, shouldn't he?"

"Should we wait outside? security might not let him in if he looks like a thug."

"Who are you calling a thug?" A voice called from behind.

The two girls whirled around and ran to him with excitement. "Hwoarang!"

Hwoarang hugged them both. "Well, ladies, what shall we do?" He smirked. "I know some good places to hang out."

"Sleep!" Xiaoyu said, putting her hand on his mouth. "We need sleep. Where are we staying?"

"At the dojo's upper aprtment. Baek is out of town and said Julia could stay there. Xiaoyu, you can stay with Julia or you can have the room above the garage and I'll stay with Julia."

"I don't think so, Red. Xaioyu and I will make due just fine as room mates."

Hwoarang took Julia's luggage and they started to leave. "I need you to look after her..." Jin's words reverberated in his mind. He looked back at Xiaoyu who seemed to manage just fine on her own, but took hers also. Julia raised an eyebrow at him, "Since when are you such a gentleman?"

"Its ok, Red, I can handle it." Xiaoyu took her bag back, tagging along behind them.

Hwoarang shrugged, "Fine." He put his other arm around Julia. "Are you sure you don't want to be my room mate? We can play house."

"And Xiaoyu will be the chaperone."

Hwoarng laughed. "Xiaoyu, a chaperone? She is two years younger than us. Does that really make sense?"

Xiaoyu wasn't paying attention. She was lagging behind. "I think I'm starting to crash..."

"We're almost to my car." Hwoarang took her Xiaoyu's bag. "I've got this." He said pulling both bags. Julia held the door open as they exited the building and made their way to Hwoarang's car. Hwoarang put the luggage in the trunk and opened the front passenger door for Julia and the back passenger door for Xiaoyu. They slipped in and Hwoarang slipped into the driver's seat.

"Xiaoyu, you can stretch out back there if you want. It will be about an hour drive."

"Thank you." She curled up on her side with the seat belt around her. It didn't take long for her to doze off.

Julia glanced at Xiaoyu, then out at the dark night. "Hwoarang," she whispered, "what did you mean by Xiaoyu is the matter at hand?"

"Julia, I need you to trust me. If you are going to stay here and see what happens between us, I need you to truly and honestly trust me, even when it may seem hard." Hwoarang whispered back. "I myself don't know all the details, so I can't tell you all the details."

"Is she in danger?"

"I don't know. But I promised... I promised I would do whatever I could to look out for her and protect her. So, I don't know what's going to happen at the end of the week."

"How do you know this? Did you know she was coming?"

"No. I didn't know what or how I was going to do anything. It was just before you called me when I was asked a favor."

"Who asked you?"

"I cannot tell that."

"What can I do?"

"I don't know. We should wait and see how this week goes. She may open up to about something."

"Was it Jin? You saw Jin, didn't you?"

"Julia, why guess if you already know?"

"So it was." She looked back at Xiaoyu, then at Hwoarang. "I fear we're all about to grow up and become mature adults."

"Why do you say that? We're already 18."

"Yeah, but we're still just kids when you think about it. That tournament isn't far from now and lately I've had an unresolved feeling that we'll all be entering and have to face each other in the tournament. For whatever reasons... we've all been raised by our parents and trained by mentors for what other purpose?"

"We're not being forced to fight, Julia. They mean well and just wanted to pass something on to us that will stick with us for later in life."

"Hwoarang, I don't want to fight. I don't want to be in a tournament. I don't want to grow up, but I don't want to stay a teenager all my life."

"Julia, you're worrying too much."

"We have Xiaoyu to think about too. And Jin." Julia looked back at Xiaoyu again, who was now sleepily muttering in chinese.

"You say that like she is a child." Hwoarang replied.

"Well, she is younger than us."

"Not enough to make a difference."

"Hwoarang-"

"Julia, I was joking earlier about playing house. You can stop with your maternal instinct."

Julia glared. "Do you care about this at all?"

"I said you're worrying too much. We don't have to fight."

"And just how are we going to handle this if we have to face each other in the tournament?"

"The same way our mentors and parents did!"

"They had different reasons for why they entered. We only know each other through them."

"Yes, but you see there are strong alliances and friendships built up over time. Paul Pheonix helps the Law family with their family business of dojos and restaurants. Lee Chaolin has affairs with the Williams sisters. Lei Wulong, Baek, and your mother Michelle have a friendship with each other. Wang jinrei has a relationship with the Mishima line. And if Jun were still alive, I'm she would be in the group with mentor and your mom."

"I don't think Lee Chaolin and the Williams sisters are the best examples. The Williams sisters just want to kill each other. Chaolin only makes such issues worse."

"Give me credit for not bringing up the sumo wrestling stalker."

"No credit, because you just brought him up."

Xiaoyu's eyes shot open wide and she sat up screaming at the top of her lungs. Hwoarang swerved off the road, but didn't lose control completely. He managed to get the car pulled over and stopped.

"What's wrong?" Julia asked, her hear t racing, but Xiaoyu was trapped in a nightmare. Her body trembled in fear and tears poured down in her face. Hwoarang unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at Xiaoyu. "Xiao? What's wrong?" He asked firmly.

Xiao looked past him as if she didn't hear him. She trembled even more and put her hands out as if trying to stop someone or something. She screamed again louder as she cowered back and put her hands on her ears, crying and screaming.

Hwoarang and Julia looked at each other not sure what to do. They were concerned deeply for their dear friend. The prior discussion only deepened the discontent.

Xiaoyu let out another screaming cry and then her body relaxed and collapsed.

"Hwoarang, just continue driving." Julia unbuckled her seatbelt, got out of the front seat and opened the door and climbed into the back seat. "I said I would help. I don't know what to do, maybe I should just sit with her..."

Hwoarang nodded and started the car back up. There was hardly any traffic, so it easy getting back on the road to their destination.

Julia carefully adjusted Xiaoyu to sit up. Julia sat beside her, linking their arms. "I never had a sister, but if I could pick, it would be you."

Xiaoyu's head tilted over onto Julia's shoulder.