Chun Li lay breathing lightly in her bed. She wanted to get up, but was still feeling a little tired. She felt like she was standing on the bridge between dream and reality...then a series of knocks on her door pushed her to the side of reality. She slowly got up and stretched with a yawn. The knocking continued.
"Hold on." She said as she brushed her hair. She looked at the iris in the vase she had placed it in yesterday, still alive. Then she opened the door, still in her pajamas.
Ken was at the door, Ryu was behind him. Not realizing that Chun Li was in her pajamas, Ken began talking. "Hey Chun Li, I was thinking we got off on the wrong foot so Ryu and I were wondering if you wanted to go jogging with us this...WHOA!!!" Ken gawked at her, seeing her in a blue satin tank top and baggy blue satin pants. Her hair was long and slightly wavy.
"Oh my GOD!" She shrieked at him. She slammed the door shut and yelled through the closed door. "WHAT are you doing so early in the morning?"
"We were just wondering if you wanted to go jogging with us, honest!" he replied, then he paused. "Say, are those Victoria's Secret pajamas, you're wearing?"
She opened the door a crack and threw a pair of shoes at him as hard as she could.
Ken yelped. "What, gives? It was just an innocent question!"
"PERVERT!!" She yelled at him through the door that she had closed again.
"I'm sorry, I really am!" He replied.
"GO NOW!! JUST GO!!"
Ken scrambled down the stairs and made his way out of the building. Ryu stood at the door for a few minutes...suddenly Chun Li's door opened again. Chun Li bent down to pick up her shoes but saw Ryu was still there then slammed it shut.
"YOU'RE NOT GONE YET?!" She asked screaming.
"S-s-sorry!" Ryu stammered.
As he ran down the stairs after Ken, she heard her yell at him with sarcasm. "Oh, I'm sure you are!"
Chun Li slowly opened the door to her apartment room. Seeing that the coast was clear, she quickly walked out and slammed the door behind her. She looked beautiful in a white, one-piece, Chinese style dress. The collar of her dress covered most of her neck. Both her arms were bare as the dress had no sleeves and stopped at the end of her shoulders. The dress fit nicely on her slim waist and flowed to the floor. There were slits up to her knees. The neck of the dress was trimmed with gold thread and a flower adorned the top of the slits on either side of her legs. She closed the door behind her and walked down the stairs. Her hair was in its usual braided and bunned style, but she had braided a white hair ribbon into each of the braids so there was a glimmer of white in her dark hair. She saw that the receptionist wasn't at his usual desk. She passed through the door and felt a few young males stare at her. She blushed slightly. She made her way to the florist again. Once again buying a bouquet for her father's grave. Once she reached the cemetery, she set the flowers down and prayed again. This time, however, her prayer seemed shorter. Perhaps she was finally beginning to let go...
Ryu and Ken sat in the restaurant eating their fried egg rolls, shumai, and tempura pieces.
"What a great day to go jogging." Ken said, his mouth stuffed with food. He swallowed and continued talking. "Too bad Chun Li didn't go with us."
"I don't think she was in any position to go, Ken." Ryu said before biting his shumai.
"Yeah, you're right. But hey," he began as he stuffed another piece of tempura and began talking again. "It wasn't a total loss."
Ryu swallowed his piece of shumai. "What do you mean?" he asked as he reached for his glass of water.
"Oh come on." Ken said, his mouth filled with chewed tempura. "Admit it, she looked pretty good in her satin PJs didn't she?"
Ryu nearly choked. "KEN!!"
"Hey, it's the truth!" Ken replied before swallowing the tempura and downing it down with water. Then he began again. "Come on, admit it, you liked seeing her like that."
Ryu grabbed a piece of tempura with his chopsticks and chewed. After swallowing he spoke. "I don't think like you Ken."
"Fine, be like that. I KNOW you enjoyed it."
"Maybe the reason I won the tournament and you lost is because I didn't pay attention to such...details." He responded.
"Bah, I know you liked it and I don't care what you say to disprove it." Ken stated.
Ryu sighed and took another piece of shumai.
Chun Li's stomach growled. She looked down at her wristwatch. It was dinnertime and she had skipped out on lunch. She walked to a nearby Korean restaurant and ate some kimchi, rice, and marinated meat (kalbi). After she had eaten, she made her way to the shopping district. After haggling for a Jade hairpiece (which she eventually convinced the store owner to give to her for half price), she headed back to her apartment building. She slowly made her way up the stairs. She went to the her door and inserted her keys. When she opened the door, she saw a note that had been slipped under her door. She closed the door behind her and quickly unfolded the piece of paper:
Sorry about today. -Ryu
She looked at the otherwise blank paper. She had no idea what to say or do. She gently placed the paper on her coffee table. She undid her elaborate hair and brushed through it through her hair remained slightly wavy from the braids. The iris in its vase caught her eyes. It was still fresh and alive...probably because it was in water. Then she walked to the couch. She started to drift into her own world as she sat and soon, she had fallen asleep.
A sudden noise awakened Chun Li as she was sleeping. She found that it was just the heater starting up. She looked at the clock. 1:30 A.M. She walked to the enormous window that overlooked the city. The markets were empty and the only light that could be seen was that of the moon's and the lamps at the side. She thought about how the city must've looked without the chaos and hubbub that was usually present. She swiftly walked to the door, down the stairs, and out of the building. The cool, night air greeted her as she walked out. She stepped into the foggy night, smiling. She walked down the streets that were usually incredibly crowded. Very few lights were on and the only sounds that could be heard were the occasional bursts of drunken laughter from the bars and the peaceful sounds of night. She roamed the streets blissfully, wishing that it would be just as quite and unobstructed during the day. She turned in a circle as the moon reflected off her skin. Then, seeing she had wandered far from her apartment building, decided to walk back.
Chun Li walked down the dark alley, retracing her steps. A sudden gust of wind startled her and made her shiver. There was a strange, sinking, knotted, feeling inside her stomach...as if something wasn't quite right. She shuddered involuntarily as she made her way on the path. The air was filled with more moisture than usual, or so it seemed. The damp air smelled of leftover fish and oil from the daytime street market stalls that were now empty. Chun Li looked down at her watch. 2:00 A.M. What was she thinking at 1:30 A.M? Why was it she felt a sudden urge to go out? She recalled her thoughts of wanting to see the city secluded. She felt stupid for even thinking about it. Her thoughts were replaced with a sudden burst of fear...followed by a sudden grasp of a male's on her shoulder. She quickly turned around and kicked the man in the face. The man grunted upon impact, then snarled at her.
"Feisty...fiery and feisty. That's the way I like 'em." His eyes held a yellowish spark.
The prickly feeling of fear shot through Chun Li's spine. Her rational mind started to scream at her. "Idiot! Walking the streets late at night! What on EARTH were you thinking? There are heathens out at this hour...and you know what happens to females who're targets..."
The man pulled her arm with an iron grip. Chun Li punched his shoulder with her free hand. Another pair of arms grabbed her from behind. She sharply elbowed the person behind her in the ribs and extended her leg into his stomach, slamming him into the wall behind him. Then she kicked the man who had originally grabbed her, took hold of him and threw him on the ground. The patch of ice underneath him cracked and he groaned while he fell into a state of unconsciousness. She stood for a while, breathless and exhausted. Her internal organs started to resume their normal pace after working overtime. She breathed quickly and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She started to run when her mind became suddenly aware. Someone else was still there. She attempted to whip her body around to see who when a strong pair of arms took hold of her, wrapping themselves on her shoulders. She was about to elbow the person behind her when he spoke with a warning tone.
"I wouldn't try it." he advised. A tiny glint of light caught her eyes. Under her neck was a knife, gleaming.
"Don't think for a second that I'm afraid to use it." He threatened.
Chun Li's mind went haywire. "I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die." She thought. Her adrenaline raced and her heartbeat started to pump faster than she could count in seconds. She was more afraid then she could ever remember being. Sure, she had fought many people and in her earlier stages of training, lost, but her LIFE had never been endangered...or at least not in this manner. She tried to think of any mean of escape. If she kicked him back he would fall backward and the knife would surely go backward with him. She strained to recognize the voice, but she was positive he was a complete stranger. She could feel the cold blade touch her skin. She inhaled sharply and the blade started to press in deeper. She could feel a tiny drop of blood leak out. She realized this man wasn't out to rape women, but to kill. She let out a tiny whimper, barely audible. "What do you want from me." She asked, willing her voice to remain steady.
"Your death." The icy voice hoarsely whispered.
The knife left her neck and she saw it move slightly to the side, knowing the attacker was preparing for a final blow, Chun Li shut her eyes. Time went by for what seemed like hours in a matter of seconds. Memories of her childhood and her father flashed. The seconds passed for what seemed like a long time...maybe to long. Her attacker grunted. She quickly opened her eyes to see what had happened. A pair of bare arms was now present...restraining the attacker's hand the held the knife. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard. Her attacker moaned with pain, letting the knife slip from his grasp. Then he collapsed to the floor. Chun Li turned around to see who her savior had been and found herself staring at the familiar face of Ryu.
"Hold on." She said as she brushed her hair. She looked at the iris in the vase she had placed it in yesterday, still alive. Then she opened the door, still in her pajamas.
Ken was at the door, Ryu was behind him. Not realizing that Chun Li was in her pajamas, Ken began talking. "Hey Chun Li, I was thinking we got off on the wrong foot so Ryu and I were wondering if you wanted to go jogging with us this...WHOA!!!" Ken gawked at her, seeing her in a blue satin tank top and baggy blue satin pants. Her hair was long and slightly wavy.
"Oh my GOD!" She shrieked at him. She slammed the door shut and yelled through the closed door. "WHAT are you doing so early in the morning?"
"We were just wondering if you wanted to go jogging with us, honest!" he replied, then he paused. "Say, are those Victoria's Secret pajamas, you're wearing?"
She opened the door a crack and threw a pair of shoes at him as hard as she could.
Ken yelped. "What, gives? It was just an innocent question!"
"PERVERT!!" She yelled at him through the door that she had closed again.
"I'm sorry, I really am!" He replied.
"GO NOW!! JUST GO!!"
Ken scrambled down the stairs and made his way out of the building. Ryu stood at the door for a few minutes...suddenly Chun Li's door opened again. Chun Li bent down to pick up her shoes but saw Ryu was still there then slammed it shut.
"YOU'RE NOT GONE YET?!" She asked screaming.
"S-s-sorry!" Ryu stammered.
As he ran down the stairs after Ken, she heard her yell at him with sarcasm. "Oh, I'm sure you are!"
Chun Li slowly opened the door to her apartment room. Seeing that the coast was clear, she quickly walked out and slammed the door behind her. She looked beautiful in a white, one-piece, Chinese style dress. The collar of her dress covered most of her neck. Both her arms were bare as the dress had no sleeves and stopped at the end of her shoulders. The dress fit nicely on her slim waist and flowed to the floor. There were slits up to her knees. The neck of the dress was trimmed with gold thread and a flower adorned the top of the slits on either side of her legs. She closed the door behind her and walked down the stairs. Her hair was in its usual braided and bunned style, but she had braided a white hair ribbon into each of the braids so there was a glimmer of white in her dark hair. She saw that the receptionist wasn't at his usual desk. She passed through the door and felt a few young males stare at her. She blushed slightly. She made her way to the florist again. Once again buying a bouquet for her father's grave. Once she reached the cemetery, she set the flowers down and prayed again. This time, however, her prayer seemed shorter. Perhaps she was finally beginning to let go...
Ryu and Ken sat in the restaurant eating their fried egg rolls, shumai, and tempura pieces.
"What a great day to go jogging." Ken said, his mouth stuffed with food. He swallowed and continued talking. "Too bad Chun Li didn't go with us."
"I don't think she was in any position to go, Ken." Ryu said before biting his shumai.
"Yeah, you're right. But hey," he began as he stuffed another piece of tempura and began talking again. "It wasn't a total loss."
Ryu swallowed his piece of shumai. "What do you mean?" he asked as he reached for his glass of water.
"Oh come on." Ken said, his mouth filled with chewed tempura. "Admit it, she looked pretty good in her satin PJs didn't she?"
Ryu nearly choked. "KEN!!"
"Hey, it's the truth!" Ken replied before swallowing the tempura and downing it down with water. Then he began again. "Come on, admit it, you liked seeing her like that."
Ryu grabbed a piece of tempura with his chopsticks and chewed. After swallowing he spoke. "I don't think like you Ken."
"Fine, be like that. I KNOW you enjoyed it."
"Maybe the reason I won the tournament and you lost is because I didn't pay attention to such...details." He responded.
"Bah, I know you liked it and I don't care what you say to disprove it." Ken stated.
Ryu sighed and took another piece of shumai.
Chun Li's stomach growled. She looked down at her wristwatch. It was dinnertime and she had skipped out on lunch. She walked to a nearby Korean restaurant and ate some kimchi, rice, and marinated meat (kalbi). After she had eaten, she made her way to the shopping district. After haggling for a Jade hairpiece (which she eventually convinced the store owner to give to her for half price), she headed back to her apartment building. She slowly made her way up the stairs. She went to the her door and inserted her keys. When she opened the door, she saw a note that had been slipped under her door. She closed the door behind her and quickly unfolded the piece of paper:
Sorry about today. -Ryu
She looked at the otherwise blank paper. She had no idea what to say or do. She gently placed the paper on her coffee table. She undid her elaborate hair and brushed through it through her hair remained slightly wavy from the braids. The iris in its vase caught her eyes. It was still fresh and alive...probably because it was in water. Then she walked to the couch. She started to drift into her own world as she sat and soon, she had fallen asleep.
A sudden noise awakened Chun Li as she was sleeping. She found that it was just the heater starting up. She looked at the clock. 1:30 A.M. She walked to the enormous window that overlooked the city. The markets were empty and the only light that could be seen was that of the moon's and the lamps at the side. She thought about how the city must've looked without the chaos and hubbub that was usually present. She swiftly walked to the door, down the stairs, and out of the building. The cool, night air greeted her as she walked out. She stepped into the foggy night, smiling. She walked down the streets that were usually incredibly crowded. Very few lights were on and the only sounds that could be heard were the occasional bursts of drunken laughter from the bars and the peaceful sounds of night. She roamed the streets blissfully, wishing that it would be just as quite and unobstructed during the day. She turned in a circle as the moon reflected off her skin. Then, seeing she had wandered far from her apartment building, decided to walk back.
Chun Li walked down the dark alley, retracing her steps. A sudden gust of wind startled her and made her shiver. There was a strange, sinking, knotted, feeling inside her stomach...as if something wasn't quite right. She shuddered involuntarily as she made her way on the path. The air was filled with more moisture than usual, or so it seemed. The damp air smelled of leftover fish and oil from the daytime street market stalls that were now empty. Chun Li looked down at her watch. 2:00 A.M. What was she thinking at 1:30 A.M? Why was it she felt a sudden urge to go out? She recalled her thoughts of wanting to see the city secluded. She felt stupid for even thinking about it. Her thoughts were replaced with a sudden burst of fear...followed by a sudden grasp of a male's on her shoulder. She quickly turned around and kicked the man in the face. The man grunted upon impact, then snarled at her.
"Feisty...fiery and feisty. That's the way I like 'em." His eyes held a yellowish spark.
The prickly feeling of fear shot through Chun Li's spine. Her rational mind started to scream at her. "Idiot! Walking the streets late at night! What on EARTH were you thinking? There are heathens out at this hour...and you know what happens to females who're targets..."
The man pulled her arm with an iron grip. Chun Li punched his shoulder with her free hand. Another pair of arms grabbed her from behind. She sharply elbowed the person behind her in the ribs and extended her leg into his stomach, slamming him into the wall behind him. Then she kicked the man who had originally grabbed her, took hold of him and threw him on the ground. The patch of ice underneath him cracked and he groaned while he fell into a state of unconsciousness. She stood for a while, breathless and exhausted. Her internal organs started to resume their normal pace after working overtime. She breathed quickly and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She started to run when her mind became suddenly aware. Someone else was still there. She attempted to whip her body around to see who when a strong pair of arms took hold of her, wrapping themselves on her shoulders. She was about to elbow the person behind her when he spoke with a warning tone.
"I wouldn't try it." he advised. A tiny glint of light caught her eyes. Under her neck was a knife, gleaming.
"Don't think for a second that I'm afraid to use it." He threatened.
Chun Li's mind went haywire. "I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die." She thought. Her adrenaline raced and her heartbeat started to pump faster than she could count in seconds. She was more afraid then she could ever remember being. Sure, she had fought many people and in her earlier stages of training, lost, but her LIFE had never been endangered...or at least not in this manner. She tried to think of any mean of escape. If she kicked him back he would fall backward and the knife would surely go backward with him. She strained to recognize the voice, but she was positive he was a complete stranger. She could feel the cold blade touch her skin. She inhaled sharply and the blade started to press in deeper. She could feel a tiny drop of blood leak out. She realized this man wasn't out to rape women, but to kill. She let out a tiny whimper, barely audible. "What do you want from me." She asked, willing her voice to remain steady.
"Your death." The icy voice hoarsely whispered.
The knife left her neck and she saw it move slightly to the side, knowing the attacker was preparing for a final blow, Chun Li shut her eyes. Time went by for what seemed like hours in a matter of seconds. Memories of her childhood and her father flashed. The seconds passed for what seemed like a long time...maybe to long. Her attacker grunted. She quickly opened her eyes to see what had happened. A pair of bare arms was now present...restraining the attacker's hand the held the knife. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard. Her attacker moaned with pain, letting the knife slip from his grasp. Then he collapsed to the floor. Chun Li turned around to see who her savior had been and found herself staring at the familiar face of Ryu.