Middle Class
Chapter Seven:
Octopus Balls
Authors Note: Don'tcha love old Disney movies:Sigh: I just love watching those old classics. And watching Little Mermaid recently, it made me want to continue with the story! (No relations with Tekken though) Of course, our chapter's title was also inspired by Little Mermaid. Haha. Hope you like it!
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Lili ran towards the bus stop next to the gate of their school. She seriously despised people who thought highly of themselves; so she has a tendency to lecture her brother, hoping that he would have the decency to be sensitive about other people's feelings.
:: Looks like none of my lectures worked. No wonder Hwoarang has the urge to beat him up ::
"Wait Lili! I'm sorry for saying that! Would you HOLD ON?!? Oh for the love of god…"
"You've really gone too far Lee. I can't believe how insensitive you are! And right in front of my classmates too! You're such a pain"
"Oh NOW I see why you're so upset. I embarrassed you in front of your boyfriend"
"How dare you… He is definitely NOT my boyfriend! All I'm saying is that we're one of them now. We are not wealthy and superior offspring anymore Lee. We're just ordinary teenagers from now on, so you better get used to it!"
"Oh come on! The only reason we ever ended up like this, is because of your SELFISH URGE TO FIGHT. You never even thought about the consequences of your actions, have you? You made father lose his company, you made our family lose our home, you made me lose the life I loved…"
After Lee's words passed through her ears, she couldn't even think about a reply. Everything he said was true. None of this would've happened if it wasn't for her. If she just controlled her urge her family would've never had to move to Japan and lose all their wealth.
Her eyes soon began to fill up with tears, as she stepped a few inches away from the bus stop. Her right hand was on her mouth, fighting back a few displeasured cries that she would never want her brother to hear.
Her brother just stood there and looked at her, unsure about what to do or say. What he said was the cold, hard truth; and he cannot simply take it back. He merely said what no family member would dare confess.
"You're… You're right… I have… No reason to get mad at you… Forgive me"
She ran away from that area, as far as her legs could take her, waiting for the very sight of her brother to fade away from view.
"Damn. You really messed her up" a familiar voice beamed behind Lee.
"And who are you to say that, punk? You're the very reason for this horrid misunderstanding between me and my sister!"
Hwoarang raised his eyebrow and placed his arms around his neck. (His own, not Lee's!)
"If you kept your big mouth shut, none of this drama would have even happened!"
Lee tightened his fists out of frustration, but that's as far as he could go to express his anger. He realized that he was at fault too.
"Now that I've stayed long enough to hear your family's little dilemma, I'm not so confused anymore about that girl"
Then suddenly, Jin entered the scene. He stared at the direction Lili ran off to, and nudged Hwoarang to go there.
"It's obvious her scrawny brother won't be able to fetch her. So why don't you do it Hwoarang?"
"Who're you calling scrawny!"
Lee formed a fist and prepared to punch Jin, but he quickly dodged the attack with ease.
"Hey… take it easy there dude. It's just that, chasing your sister in a city you hardly even lived in for 2 days is stupid. You know what I mean? Basically, if you do catch her, you wouldn't even know how to come back here"
"Tch, so why do I have to waste my time with that blonde again?"
"Look, you obviously want to. And besides, I have to catch this bus. I'm already late for a session with a certain apprentice of mine. I knew you would understand"
Lee just stood there, worrying about his sister but at the same time, confused about the conversation Hwoarang and Jin was having.
"I cannot trust this imbecile with my sister! How do I know he'd take her home after he had found her?"
"You think I'm a rapist now? Damn, you really piss me off"
"Would both of you just shut the hell up already? You, the white guy, just wait in your house until he comes back with your sister. Problem solved"
"Fine…"
"You know what to do Hwoarang. And uh, by the way, if ever you do find her… Ask her who trained her"
"So that's why you're in this. And I thought you really cared, hahaha!"
"Just get your ass away from here, she might have gotten far"
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:: I should have known better… I have no right to disrespect my brother, it is my fault after all ::
She ran towards a little garden that was hidden between two apartments. She decreased her speed, and was soon walking.
She looked around and spotted a comfortable area she can relax in. She sat down a rusty old bench located beside the fountain, and wiped her wet cheeks with a white, lace handerchief.
"Funny, how I always seem to end up where the flowers are… My name really does suit me…"
Lili took a deep breath, and slowly regained a relaxed composure.
:: Yes it is all my fault… He's right… But what can we do about it? It seems like my family has accepted it, whether or not they like it, they have to live like this from now on. We are pretty blessed compared to some, right? And to help out, I can always apply for those… Err, what do you call them? Part-hour jobs::
After a few minutes of self-reflection, she suddenly heard some faint, panting noises coming from the right side of the building.
"How… Strange… Who goes there?"
"Geez, calm down chicky!"
After the voice echoed through her ears, she had a horrid look on her face that looked like she just wanted to get the heck out of there!
"Don't tell me… Hwoarang? What are YOU doing here? Can't understand that I want to be left alone?"
The red-haired Korean entered the narrow garden and had an unpleasant smirk on his face.
"Woow there you screwed-up cheerleader! Can't you try to be a little more appreciative of my efforts to help you?"
"HELP me? And in what way would following me over here, be of any help to me?"
"Do you even know what city you're in?"
Lili looked to the right for a second of thought, only to discover that she completely forgot.
"Wait… It starts with a, T, right?"
"You are absolutely unbelievable, Blondie. I'm surprised you even found your way to the school"
Lili shook her head in annoyance and marched out of the garden.
"Hey! Wait a minute! Where are you going?" Hwoarang quickly asked her as she quickened her pace to lose him from sight.
"Away from you! You have done nothing but tease me all day, and right after I kicked the life out of you! Have you no shame?"
"You're a good fighter, fine! What else do you want a friggin trophy?"
"For your information, Mr… Whatever your last name is, I've already won a trophy and it's…"
"Alright! You won the K.O.I.F.T. 5. Shut the hell up already!"
"Well! I never…"
Suddenly, as they were arguing, a faint smell of octopus balls frying in boiling vegetable oil filled the air.
Lili sniffed the totally new scent, and followed the trace, leading both of them to a small restaurant called Rai-Rai Ken.
"What a peculiar smell! I could tell that whatever's cooking is absolutely delicious!"
Hwoarang inhaled through his nostrils to try to get an idea of what attracted the rich girl's nose.
To his surprise, he discovered that the scent was, indeed, good 'ole octopus balls.
"Street food? The princess enjoys the smell of… Street food?"
"Street food? Is that what you call the source of the marvelous scent? Oh it causes my taste buds to water! I shall buy so-… Oh… I forgot I spent all my money on lunch earlier today…"
Hwoarang looked at her soft, sad expression. Her eyebrows were bent downwards, her mouth made a curve that resembled a tiny hill, and her cheeks were pale from fighting, running and crying.
He turned around and started walking away from the restaurant with both of his hands casually resting behind his neck.
"Well, I guess that's it then. Time to go home to your pathetic brother"
"Wait! As a gentleman, aren't you going to… Well… Treat me?"
"Aren't you loaded?"
Lili stopped in tracks and looked down, remembering anything about financial stuff really makes her reflect deeply again.
"W-w-wait!" Hwoarang nervously replied, coming nearer as he shook his palms to assure her he was joking.
"I over-heard what happened to you and… Fine, I'll buy you those damn balls"
"B-balls? And what do you mean by that?"
"Didn't you want to buy some? That smell you liked… Those were octopus balls cooking"
Lili went closer to the restaurant, followed by the red haired Korean.
"Hmm… Interesting… Balls made of octopus… I'd love to try them, I'm quite adventurous you know"
"No kidding... Fine. Let's just get this over with and go in there"
So both Lili and Hwoarang entered the premises of the cheap, Japanese restaurant and ordered 6 octopus balls for both of them to share.
"Oh how exciting! Octopus balls…"
"You're one strange chick, you know that?"
"You're not so bad yourself, Hwoarang" Lili playfully replied, looking around the restaurant like an excited little child whom is about to receive a lollipop.
After waiting for a few more minutes, their order was presented to them, 6, fist-sized, octopus balls.
They ate all 6 of them up, with Lili eating 4 of them as she claimed that the taste was absolutely exhilarating and she had a right to eat one of his'.
"I've never seen anyone wolf down octopus balls like that before… It was freaky"
"Hmph. I won't let that get to me… Since you have shown me an act of kindness it is only right that I thank you"
Lili ran in front of his path and stopped to block him. She looked straight into his eyes and flashed an innocently happy smile.
"Thank you Hwoarang" She said, followed by a respectful bow.
:: Bowing? She must've read the Japanese-Customs magazine. Nonetheless, this gesture is pretty cute. Most girls would probably take this opportunity to kiss me or something… ::
"Eh, don't mention it. The only reason I did it though, was because I thought you'd think the taste was horrible and throw up. Who wouldn't want to see a blonde chick, throw up?"
"If you enjoy sites such as that, migrate to Las Vegas and go around at night. You'll have a large helping of girls puking on the sidewalk"
After Lili cracked her joke, the young red-head chuckled and raised his eyebrow and gave her an impressed smirk.
"Haha… You're pretty funny you know"
"Why, Thank you! I was never able to present my humorous side to the rich society, you know. They always shunned my very idea of humour."
"Well they have no idea what they're missing… You know, for a blonde, spoiled brat… You're pretty cool"
Lili raised her eyebrow, but then slowly regained composure as she replied:
"And you're not so bad yourself, punky, drop-out boy"
"Drop-out?! How the heck would I be a drop-out when you know I'm in the same classroom and school as you!?"
"Well I could've assumed you repeated a year… or two"
Lili giggled and quickened her pace.
"Who the hell do you think you are… Hey! Come back here! Take that back!"
Lili laughed as she ran away from the sprinting Hwoarang, as she did, she looked back at him and stuck her tongue out playfully.
"Try me!"
:: You'll see… Everyone will see that I'm not just a pretty, little, blonde with no backbone… Soon, everyone will know my name… Not as a beauty queen, but as the toughest girl in Japan::
