CHAPTER 8 – JIN, MEET ASUKA.
The cold air blew thoroughly throughout the night, howling and moaning like that of a wolf to the full moon. The stars in night glittered down as the rain fell from them, spitting hastily…
A strong figure of a young man waded through the testing weather alone…
He was clearly wounded, as he stumbled this way and that, holding his left arm and walking with a slight limp…his raven hair was soaked through by the wind as was his skin…
This young man was no other than Jin Kazama. He had previously been ambushed by a group of youths…there were ten of them, out for a fight. Jin however triumphed over them, being stronger, but there was something else that seemed to boost his strength more than anything…
His devil gene.
The evil black markings of the devil were plastered upon is forehead, and his eyes glowed out red…
Jin had clearly taken a blow to his left arm, it appeared to be the wound of a knife stab. It was painful, and sooner or later Jin wouldn't be able to carry it with the blood loss.
The weather finally won over Jin, as he tripped, and fell to the wet ground…
He didn't know where he was…he only remembered waking with an unhealthy need for blood and battle! His eyes drooped heavily and he panted. His spiked horns on top of his wet hair cracked and stooped back in…and his black feathered wings disappeared…
Jin blacked out as he transformed back to normal.
All he could remember…was…was it a figure?
A figure of…
A girl?
He knew her? …No. But he could've sworn he did!
"……Xiaoyu?"
That was the last word that came from his mouth before his eyes darkened…
"On my own…pretending he's beside me…all alone, I walk with him till morning…without him, I fell his arms around me, and when I lose my way I close my eyes and he has found me."
"…Huh?" Jin stirred as he heard a beautiful and lyrical voice…singing…
He slowly opened his eyes…he was in what appeared to be a girl's bedroom…
He was laid upon a small white and lilac bed. He jumped and bolted straight up! Half expecting an enemy to attack him…but…no-one did. No-one was there. He was alone. This puzzled Jin…he only remembered getting into a fight and then he…he thought he saw…her.
He glanced at his left arm…it was bandaged up! Maybe…maybe Xiaoyu had found him! Could it be? Could it be that it was…her singing?
Jin struggled to get up and made a hasty rush for the door, calling her name as he went…
He pulled it open…it led to a small living room with big, glass sliding doors that led out to a gloriously green garden. He could've sworn the singing was coming from outside!
He stumbled past a cream sofa, and then a table, until he managed to reach the sliding doors. He peered through them and then opened them…he called out her name again once in the garden…
The singing continued…
"Xiaoyu!" He called louder.
He wandered around flowerbeds and bushes of roses…he had no idea who had saved him and brought him here, but, he just wished it was her. It had to be.
The singing quietened…and then came to a soft and slow halt.
"…Xiaoyu? Xiaoyu where are you? I…Uhh…" He sighed and felt himself breaking down as a streaking pain broke through his arm…
"Argh!" He cried out in pain and held his arm stiffly. Cursing darkly he turned…then stopped.
There…standing in the doorway of the sliding door was a girl…but not Xiaoyu…he didn't know this girl.
She had long, slender legs in blue shorts with a matching blue top and sharp yet refined facial features with choppy soft brown hair…
He stared at her, but he noticed she stared right back at him…her gaze was hard and strong, but she also had a very pretty appearance. Jin's eyes studied her carefully…he was guessing she was the one who saved him, and the owner of the angelic voice he heard the brought him back to conciseness.
"…So your awake then?" She said, breaking the silence, her voice was strong much like her stance and the way she stood – proud, but it had a shrill, and light ring to it.
Jin nodded slowly, but didn't reply.
The girl gave him a look and folded her arms, she sighed and walked over to him. Studying him carefully she then spoke…
"You look better, and that arm seems to have healed…" She nodded. "I think you can leave when your ready I guess…and next time stay outta trouble! You won't have someone like me to save you." She said very shrewdly.
Jin raised an eyebrow. "…Who are you?" He asked her, and also noticed she was Japanese…like him.
"The name's Asuka," She smiled. "Pleased to meet'cha." She grinned, bearing him a pearly white teeth smile, and holding her hand out.
Jin ignored this…
"Im Jin. I thank you for your troubles…it does appear my arm is better." He said coldly and then walked straight past the girl!
"H, hey!" She called after him and stopped him before he could leave the front door to her home. "Wait one sec, tough guy," She frowned. Jin was stunned by her attitude! "Is that all!?" She exclaimed.
"…Is that all what?" Jin asked with the confusion of a little boy.
"Just a thank you and your off? Im sorry, that doesn't go down too well with me." She frowned.
"…I am sorry." Jin nodded and waited for her to move…
She sighed and unfolded her slender, yet rather well shaped muscular arms. "…Alright, leave then. By the way…how many were there?" She asked.
"…How many?" Jin asked, yet again confused.
She rolled her eyes. "In the fight, dummy! How many were you against?" She asked eagerly.
"…Ten. I think." Jin replied, hesitantly.
"Mmm," She said. "That's quite good…you do some art of fighting?" She said tilting her head.
Jin nodded silently, and much to his surprise, she smiled!
"Really? Well that's good…me too," She stated. "Goodbye then…Jin, wasn't it?" She asked quite pleasantly.
He nodded once again. "Yes," He replied shortly. "…Asuka?" He asked back.
She grinned once more and gave him a nod back. "That's right."
"Asuka…can you tell me if…you were singing? A while ago?"
"Me? You're joking right? I can't sing…must be good to though. Anyway, why did you ask?" She questioned.
"Hmm…" He paused. "When I woke, I heard singing…I could've sworn it." He nodded.
"That why you went wandering out into my garden?" She asked with a sigh. Jin didn't bother to reply but gave her another nod!
"…Boy, I sure did save a strange one," She sighed with a small smile. "Well, good luck, and hey…get into any more fights or need any help…call me." She smiled and handed him a piece of scrap paper with some digits scribbled across it.
"…Thank you." Jin said slightly bewildered and raised his eyebrows.
The girl…Asuka, gave him another smile. "No problemo, stud." She shrugged lightly heartedly.
"…What did you call me?" He asked her.
"…Stud," She saw the look on his face and sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Oh relax, it's a nickname…ya know, a nickname? Right?" She said with as much emphasis as possible.
Jin looked at her rather blankly but nodded…yet again. "Mmm." Was his response, and with that, opened the latch of her front door and left…
Asuka watched him leave in most confusion. "…What a weird guy." She said and closed the door shut…
