Chapter 7:

A loud smash was heard as King's massive body struck the ground. From somewhere in the streets of Shinjuku, a bell rang and an announcer cried out: "Round 1, JIN KAZAMA!" A cheer rang out from a rowdy crowd, whose blood was beginning to boil just from watching the talented yet powerful fighters in the battle. Round 1 was over, but Round 2 was yet to come.

Hwoarang stood by a rope which had been set up to discourage the crowd from getting too close. His eyes studied King's opponent closely. Jin was taking a long drink, readying himself as King crawled back to his feet, examining the damage and mentally preparing himself for round 2. Unless any major injuries were accumulated, the loser was given 15 minutes to rest before the beginning of the next round.

What kept Hwoarang's attention so sharp was Jin's new style of karate. In the past, Jin had fought very much like Kazuya and Heihachi. This year, however, his style was very different. Hwoarang was soaking up every move he could, trying to find patterns and ways to read what Jin planned to do.

The only question surrounding Jin that didn't occur to Hwoarang was quite simple: Where was Xiaoyu?

The next round was announced, and the crowd pushed closer to the rope. King tensed his sweaty and shiny from his side of the ring, roaring dramatically from the back of his throat. His cheetah mask had remained in place and intact throughout his first losing match. Jin turned around slowly, his eyes resting on his opponent with a focus so intense one would think he was trying to shoot lasers from his eyes.

The bell rang, and Jin heisted. King seized the moment to lean over, grab Jin's legs, secure them around his shoulders and slam Jin back-first into the ground. While Jin was dazed, King took his leg again- but Jin retaliated quickly, kicking King away and rolling swiftly to his feet.

Hwoarang laughed silently at Jin's lack of preparation. Jin caught the sound, but he didn't let it distract him; he'd already made one mistake, and he wasn't planning to do so again. With swift precision Jin pounded King with punches to the abdomen, finishing is combination attack with a powerful kick to the chest. King reeled, but kept his footing. When Jin attempted to kick King again, King countered by grabbing Jin's leg and throwing him to the ground.

As Jin staggered to his feet, Hwoarang's ears perked up. He thought he heard something out of the ordinary. He broke his gaze long enough to glance over his shoulder. The crowd was large- anyone could have said something to get his attention. Someone was heard hitting the ground, bringing back Hwoarang's focus. He whirled around to see King flat on the pavement, Jin standing over him.

"Round 2, JIN KAZAMA!" the announcer crowed. Hwoarang cursed beneath his breath: he'd missed the most important part of the match.

The ropes were taken down, and Jin put on his cloak as he exited his place. People flooded around him, though some security guards slipped into their post around him.

It was about that moment Xiaoyu arrived. She had run top speed the whole way there, having gotten lost three times trying to find the location of the match. The crowd was thick, and though Xiaoyu was a skilled fighter she didn't have an intimidating girth. People ignored her completely. Panda trotted up beside her, standing up on both legs to look over the crowd.

"Can you see him?" Xiaoyu asked frantically.

Panda growled in the back of her throat: she saw him.

"I can't believe I'm late, oh my goodness, I'm so stupid! JIN! JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

But no matter how loud Xiaoyu screamed his name, she couldn't overpower the cheering of the crowd. Her voice sounded like nothing more than a devoted fan in the chaos. The crowd began to shift. Jin was leaving. Xiaoyu knew her chances of reaching him now were nil. She dropped to her knees, and buried her face in her hands. "So close, Panda, so close…" Panda nuzzled her nose against Xiaoyu's cheek, sitting stoic next to her.

As the crowd dissipated, the only people left were those uninterested in stalking a celebrity. Xiaoyu kept her face buried, her disappointment was overwhelming. She only uncovered her eyes when she felt someone standing over her.

Hwoarang knelt down in front of her quietly. He could only catch her eye briefly before she looked down and sniffed. Quietly, he said "He won, Xiao… You'll have more chances."

She looked up at him quickly, this thought registering. "You're right," she said stoutly. "I just have to make sure I don't lose tonight."

There was a long moment of silence, before Hwoarang asked, "Was Jin the only reason you joined this tournament, Xiao?"

"…No." She met his eyes with more confidence, though her pigtails seemed to dangle without the life they normally had. "I came for a lot of reasons, Jin was… one of them."

Once Xiaoyu didn't explain, Hwoarang understood that she didn't want to. Standing up, he said. "Come back to the hotel, Xiao. I can give you a ride on my motorcycle if you want me to. Unless," he paused. "You'd rather take the panda."

Panda moved protectively – and somewhat defensively- in front of Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu touched her fur gently, and looked at Hwoarang. He held out his hand imploringly. With a glance at Panda, she took his hand and stood as well. "I think I'll walk… But thank you."

"No problem. I'll see you at the hotel?"

"Absolutely."

With that, Hwoarang went to his motorcycle. Xiaoyu watched as he mounted, revved up the engine, and took off down the road. He waved precariously at her as he road by. With a wave back, Xiaoyu looked at Panda. "Why do I have the feeling something very important happened right there?" she asked.