I said that I'd post this the same day as chapter ten, but ah-well :)) I got a bit busy.
This might be a bit too far on the scale of cheesy-ness XD Sorry 'bout that! ^^"
Tekken: The Untold Story
Chapter Eleven
"Stay"
"What do you think of this, Jin-kun?" Xiaoyu asked, holding cup noodles on her right hand and a sushi pack on her left.
"I don't know, it's your Grandpa that's going to eat it. What does he like?"
"Well," Xiaoyu stopped to think. "I'll just get both."
"That's be all ma'am?" The cashier asked.
"Yes, please." Xiaoyu responded, handing over the money. "Here you go."
"Please come again" The cashier yelled as the two leave.
"Hooray! Now I can go home!"
"Uhh, Xiao, I think I'll go on ahead."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, sorry, Xiao."
"Okay. See ya tomorrow!"
And from that day, things worked out fine. But inside her mind, Asuka knows something's wrong. She just can't point out what it is. And the school's year almost at its end, and so Jin is soon to graduate and leave for college.
"Good morning, students." Spoke the school headmaster, standing on the podium on the stage of the school auditorium. "Today, I have gathered you all to announce the school dance coming up in honor of the seniors who are graduating this school year." He continued, "you are all encouraged to participate –even the lower graders. It is not a requirement, but I want you all to have this experience. And you don't have to worry about your dates because they are randomly picked by me."
Everyone reacted to that.
"That is all students. Please proceed to your respective classrooms."
"This just sucks." Asuka commented, standing up from her seat. "Worried about being rejected by your date?" Lili teased, placing her hand on her mouth and laughed. "Tsch." Asuka was slightly pissed. "What you should worry about is if anyone would ever want to date you." Lili turned around, following the line of students leaving the auditorium. "Yeah, right." She sarcastically responded.
Later then at lunch, the headmaster's secretary came into the classroom to drop the list of partners for the dance.
"This is just stupid. Why are they so curious of finding out who Rochefort's partner is?" Asuka wondered, sitting down on her chair with her head bowed on her desk.
"Jealous, Asuka Kazama?" Lili teased.
"Hey, Asuka! Look who your partner is!"
"I'm not coming, okay?" Asuka angrily responded.
"Afraid to be embarrassed, I see."
"Of course not. I just don't want to wear a stupid dress." Asuka calmly replied.
"So you are embarrassed!" Lili laughed.
Asuka got pissed and snapped. She stood up abruptly. "I'll be there! You'll see, Rochefort! I don't care who my partner is, I'll be there!"
"Umm, Asuka, I think you should really see who your partner is."
Asuka finally decided to have a look. Her eyes widened. She looked angry and scary at the same time.
"Lili, you might want to step away." A girl said, and Lili did so.
"Somebody call Jin!" This could get out of control!"
Jin was uncaringly sitting on his seat. He waited for everyone to finish staring at the list, before he would look. But silence was broken when Asuka's classmate came in a rush.
"Jin! Asuka's getting out of control!"
To that, Jin ran to see Asuka. He was sitting on her chair head down on her desk.
"Asuka?"
Jin was very surprised and curious of why she looked pretty normal. Except, maybe a bit too normal.
"Hey, Asuka- Are you-"
She looked up. "What?"
"You're not mad?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?"
Jin decided to leave then, glaring at Asuka's classmate who came rushing to him for nothing. Be he was confused though, and thought that the tone of Asuka's voice was rather different. But he thought that maybe –just maybe, it's because of depression from finding out who her partner is.
A knock on the door. "May I come in?" It was Michiko. She walked inside the room and approached Jin. "Jin, can I talk to you outside?" Jin followed her outside then. He was nervous of what she was going to say. It's strange that Michiko's face expression is so serious.
"Jin, it's about Asuka." She spoke.
Jin became even more nervous hearing that. "What happened?" She sighed. That scared Jin. "She's in the clinic. She fainted." He snapped. "WHAT? What happened?" She looked insulted being shouted by Jin. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "Don't panic. It's just dysmenorrhea. Normal for a woman, technically speaking."
"So she's okay?"
"Yes."
"So, why exactly are you informing me this, ma'am? It's not bad, so why tell me?"
"She needs to go home to get some rest. Do you mind fixing her stuff and escorting her home? You'll be excused from your next classes."
Jin visited Asuka's classroom to get her things. He had a little trouble with them because they were so disorganized. After that, he proceeded to the clinic.
"Asuka, we're going!" He said upon entering.
"Ssshhh!" The nurse spoke. "She's sleeping." She whispered. "Bed three."
Jin walked to Asuka then. She was sleeping. Her position wasn't very comfortable to look at, she was leaning sideways. But she had a beautiful sleeping face though.
Jin decided to let her rest for a moment, and sat on the chair beside her bed. About an hour then, Asuka woke up. She looked around.
"The clinic?"
She didn't know that she passed out. She didn't know how she ended up there either.
"What- how did I- who-"
"Oh, you're awake!" The nurse said. "Your boyfriend just went to the restroom. He'll be back soon."
"Boyfriend? Oh, not again!" Asuka thought, thinking that someone has yet again mistaken Jin for her boyfriend."
Phone ring. "Oh, excuse me, dear."
The door opened. "Asuka? Great, let's go." Jin said and grabbed their bags.
While the two are walking, Asuka snatched her bag.
"Asuka!"
"Let me hold it. It's mine." She said.
"You're sick! Let me do it!"
"Don't look down on me just because I'm sick!"
"Asuka, we already had this argument before! I want to help you!"
"I don't need your help!" She walked away.
She broke down. She was weak. Luckily, Jin was able to catch her. She fainted, dropping her bag.
"Argh! How am I going to do this?" Jin complained.
He had to carry Asuka, or at least give her support. But if he does that, he wouldn't be able to bring their bags. Of course, he had to choose Asuka over those bags. He decided to leave the bags somewhere. He chose to leave them hidden in the bushes near a convenience store. He then put Asuka's left arm over his shoulder, put his right arm over Asuka, with his right hand supporting her right arm. She was half-awake, and could gently walk. She was hesitating a bit, but she needed his support to move.
"Does it hurt?" Jin asked.
"Turn yourself into a girl and find out." She responded, sarcastic, but monotone. She was definitely having a hard time.
"I'm just worried, you know."
"Then don't be." She whispered. "I don't want you to look after me all the time."
He was frozen for a moment from what she said, but continued on.
When they reached home, he slowly let her rest down, leaning on the wall beside the door and rang the doorbell.
"Jin?"
Akira was surprised, it wasn't their dismissal time yet.
"Uncle, Asuka is-"
Immediately, Akira rushed out and saw Asuka. "Oh, goodness!" He said. "Please bring her in, Jin. I'll go get some medicine."
He already figured out what happened. This same thing happened to Asuka before, when she was thirteen.
Jin made Asuka lay down on the couch. She was very sick. Asuka is the unlucky person who has her period tough. But she's only lucky to experience the hardship really seldom.
"Here, take this, Asuka." Akira said, handing out a medicine tablet. "I don't want any medicine." She mumbled and turned her head away. "You're so stubborn." Jin told her. "Huh?"
Asuka fell asleep.
"Here are some blankets and here's a pillow. It'd be difficult to bring Asuka to her room." Akira spoke. "Get some sleep now, Jin."
"I think I'll stay and look after Asuka."
"You'd do that? Thanks Jin! You're really looking after Asuka so well!"
"No problem at all, Uncle."
The next day, Jin had to go to school to claim Asuka's check-up results from the clinic.
"Identification please." Spoke the school security guard.
"Umm, I'm Kazama Jin from Class 4-A. I'm just here to pick up my cousin's medical result from the clinic."
"Sorry, Mr. Kazama, but I can't let you in without your I.D. So unless you bring it out, I'm afraid I can't let you in."
"Kazama-kun?" It was Michiko. "Here for the results?"
"Yes, please."
"Your student, Ms. Asahina?"
"Yes. Please let him in."
"Of course."
"How's Asuka?" Michiko asked, as she and Jin walk their way to the clinic. "Stubborn, as usual."
Michiko chuckled; she was expecting that answer.
"That's Kazama-chan for ya!" She joked.
"Good morning, ma'am!" The nurse greeted, as Michiko and Jin enter.
"Good morning, I'm here for Asuka's results…."
"Yes, of course. Please hold on while I call Sensei."
A moment later, the nurse came back with the doctor.
"Jin, this is Manabe Kureha-sensei, the school doctor."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kazama. I hear you are an excellent student…."
Jin smiled. "Not really…"
"Well, here are your sister's results—"
"Cousin, Kureha." Michiko corrected.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Well, your cousin is alright. Nothing bad or serious. Just a bad side effect of menstruation. So don't worry much about her, okay, son?"
Jin nodded in acknowledgement.
"Alright, I have to go now. I hope not to find your cousin in the clinic again, Mr. Kazama!" She joked and went back to her office.
"Kazama-kun, I want both you and Asuka here tonight."
Michiko sounded rather serious now.
"…. I'll try…."
Jin couldn't assure her that; after all, Asuka's not well.
"Okay, no promises… But I hope you will."
The two smiled at each other.
"Oh! Kazama-kun, some of your friends are here to decorate for the dance. Do you mind helping them out?"
"Umm…"
"Great! Thanks! Now I can finally go home!"
Michiko left Jin, almost in a flash. That annoyed Jin only a bit, but just laughed about it.
"Jin-kun? What are you doing here on a Saturday?"
"Damn it." He whispered, hearing that high-pitched voice.
"What are you doing here?"
"I just uhh-"
"Hey, want to help us out? We're decorating for the dance tonight!"
"By 'we', you mean—"
"Damn." Jin thought, observing the students helping around on the school gym. They were all lower graders, except for Xiaoyu and Miharu. Being a Senior, even a person like Jin would feel embarrassed to be surrounded by midgets.
"What the hell is this…."
"Hey, Jin-kun! Help us out!" Xiaoyu ran towards him. "You can help Miharu with the Wishing Tree.
"Wishing Tree?"
"Mmmhmm." Xiaoyu nodded. "Remember?"
"Wasn't that an exemption for the Seniors…?"
"Oops, oh yeah…"
Jin then helped Miharu hang the 'wishes', which were pieces of papers, on the Wishing Tree.
"Isn't this Wishing Tree great?"
"How is this great?"
"Don't you know how the Wishing Tree works?"
"Apparently not."
"First Years, Second Years, and Third Years will all hang their wishes on the tree. And the Seniors will pick one wish and try as much as they can to make it come true. Like a farewell gift from the Seniors, right?"
"You want to read some of them?" Miharu said, as she handed a 'wish' to Jin.
I wish Hwoarang-sama will ask me to dance with him!
Jin was annoyed by that.
"Here's another!"
I wish we'll never leave high school.
That last one appealed to him, like he recognized the handwriting.
"Here…"
"Wait—That's enough, Miharu!"
She giggled, realizing this stupidity.
After helping out for an hour or two, Jin finally left.
"Jin!"
Jin turned around; it was Lili.
"Is Asuka Kazama coming tonight?"
"She needs to stay away from any trouble, Emilie."
She giggled. "I knew it!"
"Look; she's not exactly 'okay', so just let her off."
He walked away, leaving her speechless.
The night came; and Jin decided not to attend the dance. Asuka looked ill laying down on the sofa. She wanted to get up, but she couldn't. And he wouldn't let her.
"Just let me go."
He looked back at her, wondering why she had said that.
"If not, then you go."
"Go where?"
"…"
She didn't reply. She paused; and he waiting for her response, staring blankly at her as she laid on the sofa, facing the other side.
"… The dance…."
"…. I don't think I can."
"You have to."
"No."
"You're an idiot."
He didn't react to that, he felt that she wanted to say something else – but for some reason, just couldn't.
"Do you want to go to the dance?"
And once again, she didn't respond. He laughed, slightly, careful not to let her hear him. He walked toward her and gently lift her back to let her sit up. "Come on," He whispered.
"What– Where we are going?"
"The garden."
"What? Why?"
"Just come."
So she did, without hesitation, accompanied by him, supported by him. He stopped at the middle, in front of the large pond occupying the center of the garden.
He held her left hand with his right, and placed his left on her waist.
"What the hell are you doing?"
She couldn't hesitate, because if she does, she'd fall down on the ground without his support.
"Now we're both in the dance."
"You idiot." She sounded rather shy this time.
Someone knocked on the door; Akira looked to find out who it was.
"Yes?"
"Oh, Kazama-san! I'm Xiaoyu, Jin's classmate. I found out he couldn't make it, so I brought him this cake from the dance."
"Oh! Alright."
"May I come in, please?"
"Yes, of course. I think Jin is in the garden. Go ahead."
"Thank you, Sir."
Xiaoyu was happy to see Jin, but she skipped a beat upon entering the garden. She froze, watching them with tears rolling down her eyes. "What—what's happening to me? Why am I—?"
"Are you afraid of me leaving you?" Jin spoke.
She didn't reply, and waited for his next words.
"You don't want me to leave…?"
"…. No…." She whispered.
"I have to."
"You don't have to."
She started tearing up, and he could hear her. He felt her tears rolling down on his shoulder.
"You don't have to go…. You don't have to leave…. You can stay… forever…."
He couldn't speak anymore; he knew that doing so would only make matters worse.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, crumpling a piece of paper on his hand, trying to stop himself from saying anything.
Did you get it -what that piece of paper was? :D Well, if you didn't, you can always ask me! XD Please review! ^^