All of Dead or Alive© characters and story rights are reserved to Team Ninja.
Chapter 3: Competition
"…Fang…"
Huh? Did I just hear something?
"…lei-…"
There it is again…
"…leifang…"
Is someone calling my name?...
"…LEI FANG!" a loud voice rang through her ears.
"EEEK!" Lei Fang shrieked while tumbling off her bed with a loud thud on the floor. Lazily rubbing her eyes she looked up to see Jann Lee staring at her curiously and timid Kasumi behind him.
"What do you think you're doing? Sneaking into two beautiful girls bedrooms. I see 'sketchy' written all over it," snubbed Leifang groggily, annoyed by the rude awakening.
Jann Lee simply said, "You ordered a wake up call at 6am."
Lei Fang carefully picked herself off the floor and stretched and yawned.
3 hours of sleep was definitely not enough…I'll make sure to go to bed earlier tonight…
"Is there anything you would like for breakfast?" Jann Lee asked.
That's right…Jann Lee didn't sleep at all either…
"Bring me a bowl of xi fan and then you are dismissed for break until lunchtime…" she said, diverting her gaze away.
Jann Lee stared at her almost not believing what she had just said. Lei Fang noticed his gape and shifted uncomfortably.
"Well you should get some sleep. What would I do with a half dead servant the whole day? You'd be utterly useless…" she said.
…so she's not completely heartless after all… He thought to himself.
"Well hurry up! I'm hungry!"
…but she's still a spoiled princess…
And with that he left the room. Kasumi was left standing awkwardly in her new uniform. Her hair was pulled back into a braid and she was dressed in a short black kimono styled shirt and mini skirt with a small apron tied at her waist.
Lei Fang smiled, "You look so cute in that outfit."
Kasumi smiled a little and bowed, "Thank you miss…"
"Oh come on now Kasumi, you know me better then that. None of this formality doo doo that Wufong fed you. We're friends."
Kasumi lifted back up to see her old friend and competitor smiling warmly at her. Kasumi and relaxed her posture a bit.
"You never did like rules did you?" she giggled.
"Not true, I love rules! What would I break if there weren't any?" Lei Fang winked.
Kasumi then looked towards Hitomi snoring softly on the bed, feeling guilty knowing she would have to disturb her.
"Leave her…" Lei Fang said, reading Kasumi's mind. "She's still jet lagged and the incidences yesterday were a little too much for her." She directed her gaze back to Kasumi, "you should get some sleep too. Come back around 10 if she's not already up by then."
Kasumi nodded affirmation to Lei Fang before leaving. As she left Jann Lee walked in with the steaming bowl of rice porridge. He placed the tray in front of her and she started sipping it slowly.
"Thank you. Before you go on your break, make sure Ryu is resting as well," she said as Jann Lee began leaving. He looked back again just to see that rare sincerity that was in her eyes. God knows when he would see it again.
She must REALLY be tired…
He bowed slightly before leaving.
Ryu sat against the edge of the wall, concentrating on his daily meditations. The white blanket of snow covered the edges of the hot spring pools which he recently just cleaned out of any debris that may have floated in. A tiny vibration from the hardwood floor snapped Ryu out of his trance as he jerked his head towards where the vibration radiated from. Standing up and looking cautiously, his bright green eyes pierced the not so distant trees at the edge of the pools. Seeing a flicker, Ryu instinctively jumped into the air while propelling a kunai that punctured into the tree. Swiftly landing by the target Ryu only found his kunai sticking out of the tree, nothing more or less. Suspiciously gazing around, Ryu searched for what he could not see.
They couldn't have…
But before he could do anything else, his thoughts were interrupted by Jann Lee calling to him.
"Ryu!"
Ryu jerked his head towards Jann who gave him a signal to come back in. Ryu stood for a moment uncertain of what more to do. He glanced around once more before following Jann back in.
Geez Ryu… Hayate thought as he emerged from a tree only a couple yards away from the one Ryu had pricked. Even I can't go unnoticed by you…this will be a little harder then I thought…
Jann Lee stared blankly at the ceiling of the small room. The only light entering it was through the bottom slit of the door leading out to the hallway.
…I don't need sleep. Who's she to think that I can't handle being tired…he thought as he sat up. Across from him was another bed with Kasumi sleeping peacefully in it and exhausted Ryu sitting in at its foot, sleeping as well. Jann rose from his bed and tossed his blanket over Ryu. He then tied his apron around his waist and exited the room carefully so as not to disturb the tired shinobis.
Now what?…I guess I should check the hot spring pools… he thought as he walked down the empty hallway to the hot spring pools. As he drew closer Jann began hearing something; something like short shout. It was definitely a women's voice. He walked past a doorway that lead to the meditation and yoga courtyard. He found the source of the voice. In the middle of the courtyard was Leifang in a thin robe. She was swaying her ankles in the movement of a figure eight where her hips and the rest of her body followed in rhythm. Her hands and legs slowly and gracefully flowed in different directions as if dancing. Every now and then she would break this graceful movement and strike swiftly and sharply with a piercing yell and then fall back into her original rhythm once more.
The fool! She's going to catch a cold wearing only that!
Jann Lee took a step onto the porch of the building leading towards the courtyard. Hearing his step, Lei Fang lowered her lands and turned around.
"Jann? Aren't you supposed to be resting? I gave you the time off."
Jann just stood there silently facing her, his serious eyes locking her brown ones in a trance. His solemn behavior unnerved Lei Fang and she budged nervously.
"Well? Are you just gonna stand there and act dumb?"
It took a few moments of more silence before he finally responded, "…you're going to catch a cold…"
Oh so he ruins my vacation, spies on my training, and now lectures me? she thought irritably as she turned her back to him and resumed her
"Well sucks for me. Since when did you care two straws about me?"
"You are my mistress. Your needs, including health needs, are my first priority."
"Well screw your priorities. You're only concerned about your job. I have MY priorities as well!"
Lei Fang twitched from surprise as she warm strong hands grasp her arms from behind. Jerking her head around, Lei Fang's eyes matched the familiar serious brown eyes.
"As I thought, you're cold. I would suggest you come in before you catch a fever," he said as he let go.
"I don't need to listen to you! You take or-" she was cut off by his finger that lightly pressed against her lips.
"Stop being selfish. Do you believe Hitomi would enjoy her vacation sitting by her sick friend's bedside because she was too stubborn to come out of the cold?"
"…but she doesn't have t-"
"But you know she would. Do us all a favor and get some rest."
Lei Fang was cranky and irritated by his words but she couldn't find anything to prove against his reason. Sighing, stared back into Jann's eyes with determination.
"Fine but only if you get some rest too."
still on hiatus cause of school but all your comments and favoriting inspired me to write during my free time. don't know when the next update will be though :P enjoy!
