The Soul Within
Chapter 11 – Side Effects
Julia.
What happened? It was like she was sinking, slowly in a sea that didn't have a bottom
Julia! Open your eyes!
Her heart was suddenly racing, as her arms and legs moved frantically to get her to the top. Just when she was to break the surface…
"Wait!" she gasped. Her eyes had popped open and what she saw was nothing of that bleak, vast and empty ocean. Instead she saw vibrant shades of green permeated by a noon sun, and the serenity of a healthy forest.
She started coughing uncontrollably.
Then there was the scent of familiar cologne, the feel of warmth gently embracing her as her lungs were freed from water. When her coughing had ceased, she stayed leaned over the ground huffing for air, her mind swept into a flurry. She hoped with all her being that the arm secured around her waist belonged to him. Hesitantly she turned her head, wet strands of hair falling into her face, and saw who was knelt on the ground next to her.
"Jin," she croaked.
He took a small breath of relief. "You scared me," he murmured, reaching a hand up to brush aside the hair from her face, his other arm still keeping her close.
She smiled sheepishly. It dawned on her then that she had no idea how she'd gotten here or why she was soaked to the bone. Her brows knitted together as she drew slightly away from Jin to be able to face him. "I… don't understand. What… What happened to me?"
Jin's eyes downcast to the ground. "I'm not sure. I was out here" —he waved a hand at the surrounding forestry— "when I heard a splash. I ran toward it and saw a body sinking into the lake… A feather had been floating on the surface, one from your headband." He reached into the grey sweater he was wearing and withdrew the said feather.
Julia looked at it, shaking her head, puzzling.
Gently Jin tipped her chin up to look her in the eyes. "What's the last thing you remember?"
She thought about it. There was that match at the Pit… Then I went back to my apartment with Rila, Steve and Asuka. And after they'd left…
"I was… in my apartment. And…" Her eyes widened as the memory came crashing in. "Kazuya!"
Darkness filled Jin's eyes, a deep hatred and disdain instantly roused up. "Mishima Kazuya?" he said slowly, his voice slightly roughened.
His reaction made Julia shiver, a very different shiver then the one induced by her near-drowning experience. She gulped the lump in her throat. While she could think of more than one reason what that Kazuya wanted from her, she shuddered to think of what could possibly be running through Jin's mind.
"Jin… before you jump to the absolute worst conclusions… I should tell you that, well, back during the second tournament my mother may have crossed paths with Kazuya. And they didn't exactly hit it off," she told him. "Maybe because of my relation to her, he… he would want to pursue that old hatred with me."
Jin closed his eyes, shaking his head. Julia wished he hadn't found her like this, even though if he hadn't been there, chances are she'd be dead. Why did it have to be this way? It seemed like the universe was determined to keep Jin set on one linear path. Any deviation was a sin. Any sign of happiness was snuffed out. What did he ever do to deserve such a thing? And with this, he was going to have further reason to leave Julia for a place which may only nurture that demon inside of him.
But what could she do to make him stay with her?
All of a sudden her nose was tingling. And she jerked her head to the side to sneeze. Several times. She sniffled after she was done, feeling fuzzy in the head and sluggish in the rest of her. Oh, for sure, she definitely wasn't feeling so well.
"I think I've caught a cold," she grumbled, already sounding a bit nasally.
That intense demeanor surrounding Jin had melted away with an immediate "situation" at hand. He led her to a quaint house set in the middle of a natural garden. Julia wished she didn't feel so ill because now she wasn't sure she could appreciate how lovely the place was, nor take in the serenity it encouraged upon one's self.
"Is this place… yours?" Julia asked.
Jin was hovering around her like an anxious man fussing over the tiniest loose thread. Or an overprotective boyfriend… Beneath the heat of the fever she was surely blushing.
"Gochuui!" he abruptly said as Julia stumbled on the rock path.
She was a bit taken back by the open concern on his face, but before she could reassure him she was fine she was scooped up into his powerful arms and carried the rest of the way into the house. Just barely she was able to take in the humble and surprisingly well-kempt condition of the house's interior before she was hurried into a specific room. Jin finally set her down on a simple king-sized mattress.
She could only blink, feeling somehow disoriented. Probably just the cold. Her eyes barely left Jin for a second and he'd already rushed back out into the hall.
"Huh. I wonder if he's coming back," she dryly mused aloud. Deciding not to fight this whirlwind of hospitality, she fluffed the pillow behind her head and eased back. The impending headache attested to a long night ahead of her.
She closed her eyes, and listened to the songs of birds drift in through an open window. No sooner than that she was fast asleep, dreaming of skipping across clouds and riding on the back of a giant eagle. Then she was lying atop a soft and warm white wing, gazing into the beautiful brown eyes of an angel. He smiled and began to say something…
"Julia, I—"
"—brought you soup."
"Wha?" Julia opened her eyes, confusion on her face as she found glossy wood paneled surfaces and a scarcely furnished room. Then she saw Jin setting up an eating tray over her covered lap. Was she under the blankets when she first closed her eyes? She noticed too that the room was dimmer, because the sun had lowered from the sky.
"How long was I asleep?" she asked as she took a tissue from the box of Kleenex Jin had thoughtfully added to the tray. She blew her nose in as dignified a manner as she could manage, set it down and then began slurping down her soap. Well, she hadn't eaten the entire day!
Jin withheld a chuckle and answered, "A couple hours. The sun's just beginning to set."
"Mmm. Thish ish good," she tried to say.
This time Jin let out a little laugh. "My mother would make that for me when I wasn't feeling well. It'll make you better in no time."
Julia managed to pause, taking a big gulp before looking at Jin interestedly. "Your mother… Jun Kazama, right?"
He nodded. "You remind me of her in some ways… Minus that appetite," he added wryly.
"Heh, s-sorry. I'm just so hungry…" she explained with a nervous smile.
"No, it's okay. I eat way more than what you could possibly get down."
They both laughed softly. When it died down, Julia stared pensively at the soup, working through a question. "So… were you and your mother close?"
"I was her world. She raised me from birth by herself and taught me the lessons in life I'll always value in my heart. Since her disappearance at the hand of that monstrosity, Ogre, I… I've done all I could to honor her memory. Her precepts I've lived by…" He let out a mirthless laugh, shaking his head. "…even in the face of Kazuya and Heihachi. I held their lives and I could've crushed them but… my mother didn't want that. Somehow she was there… I guess it was her memory. But I knew she didn't want me to kill Kazuya. Why though? Why would she…?"
Despondency rang clear in his dark eyes as his expression became taut with need of an answer. Julia wanted nothing more than to take him in her arms and hold him tight.
Which she did.
Jin's body only stiffened for a moment in surprise. Then he eased down, unsurely placing his hands to her back and his face to the crook of her neck.
"Maybe… Jun doesn't believe in evil. Only the purest soul could hold such a belief. She must be very brave, and proud of you, Jin. Her beloved son."
Jin squeezed his eyes shut, holding Julia tighter, for her words overwhelmed him. It was that morning he'd been questioning his worth, what his purpose was, if his path would ever see the light permanently. So far his mother had been his only light…
Now there was Julia.
The next morning, Jin had calmed down and settled into his usual air of suave composure. Honestly Julia was a little fascinated by it, watching from her mat in the main room as Jin made her tea, brought her blankets and pillows, found her a book to read, and now sat just outside the door meditating beneath the shadow of a tall tree as the sun peered through. She secretly smiled behind the book, The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, before returning to its interesting read—she was already halfway through.
Meer moments later a noise most unexpected broke the quietude she'd gotten used to.
It sounded like a "Dir en Grey" ringtone…
Julia blinked as Jin hurriedly walked across the room to search the pockets of his sports jacket that was sitting at the bottom of an open cupboard in the wall. He found the obvious item making the noise and moved into another room.
She blinked, watching him through the partially open door as he examined the small glowing screen of his red Razr.
Hmm. So he does have a cell phone… Julia thought, not really aware that she was on the verge of eavesdropping.
He answered the call: "Niyaniya Urufu. Doko ni iru no." He moved a little further away, deeper into the house and out of ear shot.
Julia couldn't help herself. She got up and quietly shrugged up to one side of the door, tensing up as Jin's footsteps sounded on just the other side of the wall.
"Ii n ja nai. (pause) Maa… Chotto ii…?"
Julia flinched and backed away as Jin neared the door.
When he peered in she was wrapped in her blanket, sipping at her cup of tea. She pretended not to notice him though she was straining her ears to keep up with the tone of his voice. While her understanding of the Japanese language was lacking, she could still make out the occasional word, and his tone could clue her in even more than words could.
His voice went almost below audibility as he murmured very quickly. Julia could just see him scratch at his ear as though nervous. He fell into a more relaxed posture during another pause. Faintly Julia could detect the voice of the other person. Sounded female.
"Kamaimasen… Saa. Dono kurai okureru no. (pause) Wakatta. Mata ne."
Jin stopped talking along with the sound of a button, signifying he was done.
He came back into the main room, gazing down at Julia. "Do you need anything?" he asked, specifically eyeing the teacup that was nearly drained.
Carefully she set it down on the lowered table, shaking her head "no". Since her nose was annoyingly starting to run she had to press a tissue to it, and that door of opportunity regarding a means of connection was starting to close as Jin headed outside.
"Um… How long have you had a cell phone?" she asked, cocking a brow up slyly. If Rila had taught her anything it was to be crafty in a mental shakedown… well, that's how the delinquent put it anyway. Julia didn't want to pry obviously, but if she could get Jin's number, there was more of a chance he wouldn't just disappear without a trace again. On the other hand… he'd probably just toss aside the cellular…
Before she could take back her question, Jin spoke up.
"The current one for about three months," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck as an uneasy smile played across his lips. Apparently he knew what direction Julia intended to go with this conversation.
Guess she might as well keep going then. "I… can't help being a little jealous then," she admitted cunningly, tossing her used tissue to the small pile accumulated on the floor. "While I forgot my cell back in the states, it would be nice to have your number so we could… you know, keep in touch. I mean, what else do we have but these tournaments…" That time there was genuine sadness slipping through her voice.
Jin dropped his hands back down to his sides, glancing out the open door. He let out a soft sigh through his nose. Would there really be harm in talking with her once and a while as a friend? Actually, there might be a few things… For one my "other side" could answer. Not to mention the pain that comes with… caring for someone you can't be with. Hearing her voice, knowing she was far from my reach; that would be too much… for both of us.
"You sure you would want to call me? I'm not much of a talker," he said, half-jokingly.
Julia looked up at him, very seriously. "Yes. Please Jin, I just… It would be nice to know how you're doing, if you're well, if you're safe, and of course, just to talk sometimes… as friends."
His heart just got squeezed, in a bad, bad way. Yes, he would have rather them be friends than… anything more than that, but…
We'll be friends. Nothing more.
I guess…
Minutes later, Jin had found a piece of paper and a pen, and sat down next to Julia to right down his cell phone number for her. It would be a while before the burn of her declaration as them being "friends" would be mollified. Good thing he had a pretty well-sculpted mask of indifference on hand. Otherwise his heart would be out in the open and completely vulnerable.
After sliding the note over to her, he placed his head in his hand, giving her a suspicious sidelong glance. "You wouldn't hand out my number to anyone else, right?"
Julia leered back at him after she'd pocketed the note in her jeans. "For your information, my mother taught me to respect others' privacy." Completing ignoring the fact that I sort of listened in on your phone conversation… not that I understood much of it anyway, she thought guiltily as she took a rice ball from the plate Jin had brought in when he'd gone to get the pen and paper.
A corner of his lip tugged up into a little smile. "Your mother sounds like a fine woman. Kami, you did find her at the third tournament, right!? How is she?" he asked concernedly.
Julia blinked, the rice ball held forgotten at her lips when she was about to take a bite. She let out a breath of laughter. "Oh. Of course I did! She's been in charge of overseeing the buffalo preserve the past five years. Uh… the type of preserve where the animals are kept safe."
"Very noble. I've never actually seen a real buffalo. They look like magnificent creatures though."
"Maybe you should visit the preserve sometime," she suggested with a broad grin, "Michelle's place is nice and has a great guest room. It's a ranch situated on a plain that has a beautiful view of the sunset."
Jin bit his lip as he imagined being with Julia in the setting, holding her hand, kissing her neck.
Julia quickly returned to her rice ball. For some reason, Jin biting his lip like that was pretty tempting. Duh, the reason was obvious! But that little action was just the tip of the iceberg, what with the Japanese heartthrob sitting mere inches from her without a shirt on in the first place. That too was innocent though because he'd been training earlier. She felt like she could kick herself for acting so immature.
Finishing the rice ball gave her the time needed to recompose herself. Something else just came out of the blue. Perhaps it was due to the cold making her sluggish the past hours, but she only then realized how surprisingly well her time with Jin had been. Given that the last they'd seen each other hadn't ended on a good note…
"I want to thank you, Jin," she said, looking into his eyes. His brows raised up in question. "For taking care of me in my illness. And… it's been nice spending time with you—regardless that I've been drippy-nosed and sneezing all over the place." She grimaced at the thought. Was this going to be a pattern? Him finding her only when she's the worse for wear?
Jin ironically combed a hand through her hair, but it was the most casual act in the world. "I felt responsible—not just because the man with my blood did this to you but because I hold you dear." His words were utterly soft, excluding the brief roughness triggered by the reference to Kazuya.
Her pulse skipped a beat. Something imperative…
Kazuya…
Kazuya…
Before Kazuya attacked her, he'd made the implication that something had become of…
She jumped up to her feet, filled with panic. Her name had been said throughout the day, she had been in Julia's thoughts, but she'd still forgotten!?
A pair of brown eyes stricken with shock stared up at her.
Julia's head began to spin. "Michelle! Kazuya... Kazuya might have done something to her!" Michelle… Please be alive…
Next time: Malignancy knows no boundaries. On the other hand, benevolence can light up the world. For which battle will the Tekken fighters suit up?