Chapter Seven

Since arriving to Japan from America, Hwoarang life is slowly changing, in a good way at that. He thought coming here will make him much more miserable than he already was before, but after meeting with Baek again, things have being going quite swell. Even he had to admit, going to a new school was very interesting.

There was no school today; actually there was no school for the entire week because of a teachers convention. Mostly all the schools were out of the week, except for the private schools. No school meant a whole week at work for Hwoarang. He started working at a nearby bike shop near his home, during the second week he was in Japan.

Coming downstairs, dressed in a white plain t-shirt, blue jeans and brown boots, Hwoarang saw putting on his Tae Kwon Do uniform.

"What are you doing?" Hwoarang asked his master.

"I have to teach a class today, Hwoarang. You want to help me teach the youngsters about Tae Kwon Do?"

"Uh, I think I'll rather pass because I have work today."

"You know one of these days I'm going to need you to assist me," Baek said putting his gray hair in a pony tail.

"Yeah, yeah I know, you told me so many times already. I have to go now." Hwoarang grabbed his blue bandanna and began tying it around his hair, before walking out the door and heading off to the bike shop.


"Where are you heading off Julia?" A woman asked her daughter, while she watched a soap opera on T.V.

Julia was pushing her maroon mountain bike out of the closet where she kept it stored. "I'm going off to ride my bike in the mountains again."

"Again? Why not come and watch this show with me? The best part is about to come up when Kyo realizes that his wife is cheating on him with her brother and his best friend. And,she's pregnant and don't know who is the father of her unborn child. Isn't that exciting!" Michelle clapped her hands together in joy.

Julia cocked an eyebrow. Her mother scares her sometimes about these soap opera shows. Julia remembers one time, that her mother had a group of her friends over watching the show and Julia watched it with them. It was horrible. There was a lot of yelling, screaming, tears, and arguments about the characters of the show. Julia wished they realize they are just actors and aren't real people.

"Um, maybe next time mother. I have to stop by the bike shop first so I can change my tires before I head up to the mountains."

"Okay, come back safe Julia. NO WAY! HIS WIFE HAS BEEN CHEATING ON WITH THE FATHER ALSO AND HE COULD BE THE FATHER OF THE CHILD! I MUST CALL Junita

Julia watched as her mother dial Junita number and tell her the shocking news. "Yeah, I'll see you around mother when you're done with you soap opera antics." Julia then shut the door and quickly got on her bike, before she heard anymore of her mom soap opera antics.


"And we're all done. Here you go kid," Hwoarang said handing the little boy his black bike. "Just don't try to fix the chain your so alright or you will only make the chain worse."

"Thanks mister." The little boy got on his bike and pedal off.

Hwoarang smiled as he watch the boy rode off with his bike. He started to remember that when he was young, that he use to ride bikes all the time and try to fix on his own. His father taught him how to fix bikes, since he didn't have enough money to buy him a new one. That is how Hwoarang got so good on fixing bikes and sometimes motorcycles.

As he wiped the oil off his hands with a rag, Hwoarang headed to the front of the shop and thats when he saw Julia entering the store with her bike. "Julia?"

Julia heard her name was called and saw Hwoarang. He seemed surprise to see her here, yet, she was surprise to see him here. "Hwoarang? What are you doing here?"

"Um, last time I checked, I work here. What are you doing here?" He asked her.

"I'm here to get my tires changed, before I head up to the mountains."

"Oh, then I guess I can help you with that. Bring your bike to the back." Hwoarang signaled her to follow him to the back.

"You can change my tires?"

"I work here don't I," He smirked.

Thirty minutes later, Hwoarang was done with Julia's bike. She was surprised that he can actually fix a bike and quickly too. Usually, it takes people over an hour or so, but Hwoarang did it fast than anyone she knows that can fix a bike.

"All done," Hwoarang said, wiping a sweat from his forehead and giving Julia back her bike. He then saw her reaching in her pocket for money. "I don't charge people Julia, so you're free to go."

"Oh, well thank you, Hwoarang for changing my bike. You seem very experience on doing this."

Hwoarang nodded. "Yeah, I use to fix bikes all the time bike home in America."

"Thats cool Hwoarang. You don't mind me dropping by if I need any changes or fixing on my bike?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "As long as you don't make it a habit. Sometimes I tend to get lazy."

"I've figured that much. You're lazy with your school work," She laughed. "Well, I better get going." Julia got on her bike and began pedaling off.

"Hey wait up!"

Julia stopped and turned around. Hwoarang was on a bike as well. "You want to ride with me to the mountains, Hwoarang?"

"Yeah, its my break time anyway. Besides, how hard can it be riding up a mountain."

Julia smiled. "You apparently don't have no idea."


Julia was pedaling faster and harder as she rode up the mountain. Riding up the mountain was a breeze to her since she does it mostly every weekend or any free time she gets from her studies. She believes its a good exercise for her training martial arts and her legs, since they are the strongest part on her body.

When Julia looked back, she practicality laughed inside seeing the Korean struggled riding the bike up the mountain. "Come on Hwoarang, I thought you said it'll be easy."

Hwoarang was pedaling the up the mountain slowly, he wasn't use to this at all. At first it was a smooth ride at the bottom of the mountain, but as they rode up more, it got tougher and Hwoarang legs were killing him.

'This is not what I had in mind' Hwoarang thought.

"Come on Hwoarang where almost at the halfway point, just a few more miles!"

"A few more miles! By then I won't have any legs left!"

When night fallen, Julia already made it to the halfway point and she patiently waiting for Hwoarang. She sat on the grass looking up the sky, it was calm and peaceful. This is another reason why Julia likes to ride her bike up the mountain, just so she can see the stars in the sky. She couldn't really see it at her home since since there were so many lights in her area.

"So, how did you fare riding up here?" She asked Hwoarang, still looking up at the sky. Hwoarang laid down on the grass panting and trying to catch his breathe.

"I tried walking the rest of the way, and that didn't even work out."

Julia laughed. "That was very smart of you."

"Thats easy for you to say. You have been doing this forever and its not human!"

"Its a good exercise for your legs, Hwoarang. You do know Tae Kwon Do."

"Yeah, I however do push-ups and sit-ups like normal people do. That is what you call exercising. This, what we are doing, is not called exercising. It's a murder trail."

"If you come with me here often, believe me you're going to be use to it."

"I'll think about. So, why did we stop here, I thought we were suppose to go up the mountain."

Julia laid down on the grass next to Hwoarang. "It's the best view to watch the stars and the moon."

"Oh." The two friends laid there in silence watching the night sky. Hwoarang started to remembered as a young boy, that his mom use to take him outside at night to watch skies whenever there was stars and a moon out. He smiled, but then he frowned and remembered the last night they watched the sky together.

Flashback

A young Hwoarang with dark brown hair sat on the porch with a young woman rubbing his hair. The two watched the sky together and they were the only ones home. Hwoarang's father was working a double shift tonight and he wasn't going to be home till morning.

"Hey, mommy what's out there in the sky?" The young Hwoarang asked his mother.

"I don't know sweetie."

"Are there aliens out there like they say on T.V.?"

"Perhaps so. We'll just have to wait and see, now don't we," She smiled at her son.

"Yeah, I want an alien as a pet. Like that Looney Toon character that has a alien dog for a pet."

"Maybe when you're older Hwoarang,"

End flashback

The next day...she left. "She used to take me out on nights like this," Hwoarang whispered.

"Huh? What was that Hwoarang?" Julia asked him what he had said.

"N-nothing, its not important. Watching the stars is actually pretty cool, especially with a beautiful woman watching it with me," He winked at her.

Julia cheeks reddened when she heard what Hwoarang said. "Uh...thanks...I guess. This my first time with a guy handsome as you are."

"Haha, so you never really been a date before until now," He joked.

"This is not a date, Hwoarang." Julia narrowed her eyes at him.

Hwoarang laughed. "I was just kidding Jules."

"Sure you was. Hwoarang, I've been meaning to ask you this, but how did you get into our school?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the school only accepts people with good grades and high standards. I'm curious on how you got accepted here. Were you really that good in your old school?"

Hwoarang shrugged. "I don't know Julia and never knew that about the school in the first place. Maybe, they saw something in me or my history. Who knows."

"Yeah, lets get going by the way its getting pretty dark out now," Julia said getting up, but Hwoarang grabbed her wrist. "Hwoarang what are you doing?" Her face was blushing.

"Not yet, I still want to watch the stars for a bit. Also, my legs still hurt."

Smiling, Julia laid back down on the grass. "Okay Hwoarang, we'll stay for a bit more."

"And this time, we're walking down the mountain and not riding. I don't want to tumble all the way down the mountain."

"Okay Hwoarang, we'll walk instead of riding." The two then began watching the night sky again.

ARE YOU HAPPY NOW SAGE! I DID THE HWOARANG AND JULIA FOR YOU! Haha, I'm just kidding. Yeah, Hwoarang and Julia had their moment and more to come. I don't really have anything to talk about I guess, so read and review.

Ps: Wait I do! Are any of Bleach fans because I have a question. Um, just out of curiosity, do you guys think Renji and Soi Fong can get along. I mean, if she wasn't into Yoruichi and he wasn't into Rukia. I just think their personality matches. I'm just asking, so don't make a big deal out of it. Please.