A/N: SSMUS50S!


CHAPTER XI

Asuka


No more screeching.

That's the reason why I decided to let her sleep here. Isn't it?

I force my eyes to stay shut and pray for heavens to just let me fall asleep!

I feel the pressure of a warm body shifting beside me. I twisted my head and saw the sleeping figure of Lili. Her long blonde hair scattered in tangles at the pillow and her body cramped into a fetal position with her blanket tossed above her.

How could she fall asleep so quickly? How can she fall asleep at all?

Doesn't this tell something about you Asuka? The person who likes you, and your somewhat seeing at the moment is sleeping without inhibitions in your bed. While you're here, wide awake, out of your comfort zone and very much aware about every little heave the blonde makes.

Wait, what did she even tell to Leo? Does she know that Lili is with me?

Great, I don't even know what she said to her because she fell asleep as soon as she lied on the bed.

Ugh, Asuka, this is what your old man keeps nagging about you.

"Asuka, you stubborn kid, stop being so hard-headed and you'll cause less trouble for yourself." Is what my father's gruff voice would tell me every time I get in trouble. But boyyo Dad, did I ever get myself in trouble like now.

The things you consider as trouble is me beating up thugs who cause nothing but silly gang fights in the street, and mess up neighborhoods. And also, being a self-righteous teen who thinks I'm always better than your fellow masters in the dojo. I am, I really am, I just don't want to give you guys a reason to retire early, because then I'd be left to teach all the wimpy youngsters in the dojo.

Real trouble Dad, is the person sleeping next to me right now. You'd be surprised that trouble had a beautiful face.

Lili shifted again and her body moved away from the edge of the bed, inching closer to mine. Her head falls at the point where my shoulders meet my neck. The brush of her lips on my neckline makes me shiver, and that shiver never left while her chest pumps in and out from my side; her warm breath unevenly tickling my neck.

Deep Marianas trench Trouble Dad. Can you at least pray for me to get some sleep?

*Sour Grape*

By some miracle I think I did fall asleep because now I'm slowly waking up. I can feel an elbow piercing me in the abdomen, trying to push me away.

"Leo, you're hugging me too tight." The voice came in soon, still filled with sleepiness. My eyes were barely opening and my nose was filled with a sweet flowery scent.

"Leo, let go." Things come to sense by now. My face was pinned at Lili's back, my hands wrapped tight around her waist and our feet were tangled with the sheets. How did I even end up embracing her last night?

"Leo…" I feel her struggle to open my arms fastened around her. Leo? For crying out loud! Doesn't she know who she sleeps with? I remove my hands from her and push her back off my face. The push was hard enough to throw her out of the bed. I heard her body bump in the floor and her jolt of ache before she places her hand on the bed and looks up to me.

"Why did you do…Asuka!" Her eyes widened when she saw me. I stared at her with a grumpy frown on my mouth. She blinks her eyes 'til realization swabs over her. "I forgot I slept here last night."

"Yeah, you've proved that point already."

"It was not a point to shove me to the floor, though." Lili stood up, picking up her blanket in the process. She sat down at the bed and looked at me with a little smile. "Good Morning by the way."

I sighed, taking in that fresh look of her. Bed hair and no makeup; it's a crime she still manages to look so good. "It's good to know you feel that way. At least one of us does."

"Oh, Asuka, are you always this cantankerous when you wake up?"

"Yeah, I pop as soon as the sun rises." I sarcastically answer her with a roll of my eyes.

Lili chuckled, then her eyes stared at me. "What?" I asked.

Her lips curve upward in a very, very devious smile. She leaned closer to me, whispering in a throaty morning voice. "We have a problem."

The minty air between her lips and mine drowned me in a haze. "I don't think I want to hear it." I answered absent-mindedly.

Lili leaned away and fidgeted her fingers on the blanket at her lap, acting like a child in trouble. "I told Leo that I would, or I slept in Xiaoyu's room last night."

It took me a while to register what she said, and then my mouth opened wide. "You need to leave this room right now." I pointed for the door with a stretched open hand.

Lili shakes her head. "And let you slip? No way Asuka Kazama, we go down together in this."

"Why couldn't you have said someone else?"

"Who? No one in this ship is a better option. Everyone knows-

"Everyone knows what?"

Lili's lips curled inward and let go. "Leo told me that Kazuya hid under the ladders when we had our conversation with Xiaoyu and told it to everyone. To Xiaoyu's credit however she did her best to keep them from believing; unfortunately, we know even false rumors gets believed."

My face cringes with the information. Never have I wanted to lie and tell Aunt Jun that her husband did nothing in Italy but gawk at women in bikinis. No, I need to think of a way to escape this first, then I'll spend the rest of the trip planning out how to get Aunt Jun kicking that old man's ass.

In a sudden burst of excitement, Lili exclaimed and said "I just thought of something Asuka." She leaned close to me again, her hand going for my exposed thigh without any hesitation.

"What?" I asked, trying to focus on her face and not her hand on my thigh. The constant reminder of its soft weight makes it hard for me to ignore it though.

"You are absolutely right that I need to leave right now." No more explanation was given, she stood up and left the room in haste.

"Wait, wait, what the heck!" I stood from the bed, clumsily slipped on the bed covers tossed in front of me and fell on the floor. Lili abruptly looked back and before she could rotate to face me I grabbed her wrist, holding her with enough force to keep her from moving more.

She raised her eyebrows at me. "If what you're planning right now is as bad as you said you slept in Xiaoyu's room, you are not getting out of that door. Do you hear me? Sit down here and talk this with me."

"You're paranoid Kazama, if anything, Leo would still be asleep by this hour and I can slip in the room to act like I never left at all. Let her think that our conversation last night was a post-traumatic effect of Zafina's not-so-kind castigation to her." It took me by surprise that Lili was able to get away from the tight grasp of my hand without so much of an effort. I don't even think she realized that I did that to restrain her.

Lili reached for the door handle and tried her best to quietly open the heavy wood barricade. She slipped her head out for a quick fix of the surroundings and looked at me before getting out of the room. "Well, before I can convince Leo that I never left, I should do my best to not get caught coming from here. Wish me luck." She reached over the door and clicked the lock on the knob before shutting me inside the room.

I was on four supports at the floor, getting an uneasy feeling of being last night's latest extravagance. For a while, my imaginations dances on the play of the situation; Lili is the lover who realized that she could not handle the complications of a one night stand and very quickly decided to start her walk of shame before anyone could rub it in her face. And I, I'm the lucky bastard who didn't even receive the best of one night stands.

I flinch when I let reality sip back into my system. Reality states that there was no one night stand. Reality states that nothing happened at all. Reality states that nothing will ever happen. Imagination, and wishful thinking states that it depends. Libido states that you want it.

A knock on my door sends the rants away from my dozy morning thoughts.

"Asuka?" The sharp, unbelievably energetic voice of Xiaoyu ringed behind the wall partition.

"Xiaoyu, you remember what happened last time you ruined my sleep?" I answered with all the feral I can inject in my words. I'm sure as hell don't want an early morning chat with her, not when I know what she'll forcefully dig into me. I can already see how the conversation will run, she'll ask about some personally intruding questions while I'll do my best dry humor replies with her.

Asuka, how did you break it to Lili? How did she take it? What did you do after?

I didn't break anything. I don't know, ask her. I slept with her, happy now?

"You took Jin back to Osaka and never let me talk to him for a week."

"Right, I can make that longer this time around." I smiled to myself, remembering the constant calls at the house and the dojo that went to voicemail, eventually, I took out the telephone cords because Dad started getting annoyed by the non-stop ringing. Jin didn't have any idea that Xiaoyu was contacting him. The disadvantages of a guy with no wits for a cellphone.

"You can make him stay there for the whole year, but I'm not letting you get away. Asuka, I deserve some details here."

"Sorry, I left them in Italy!" I made sure to produce a sarcastic laugh just to get the girl angry. You see, one funny thing about Xiaoyu is once she gets mad, all reason is squashed. The best way to get away from an impending horror talk with her is to get her mad at you and she'll walk away, thinking that it would make you feel guilty, but I just sigh in relief every time.

A long silence is what answered my efforts and at first I thought she'd already left when the door budged forward in a violent strike, leaving me a half second to roll over and not get trapped under it in the floor. Xiaoyu stepped on top of the fallen wood and looked at me with determined eyes. "Fine, I'll let this off, but I get the weird feeling that the two of you are hiding something. After what Kazuya keeps telling me about you two, I feel like I've turned a quick blind eye on this issue."

My eyes squint in the mention of Kazuya again. If I don't get his body hanging at the flagpole of this ship by landing time, I'll make sure he gets a good ol' bad treatment with Aunt Jun. An old man like him shouldn't be let out to freely roam the earth and create damage at every turn. Any Mishima for that matter actually.

"You're going mental Xiao," I soothed my voice, trying to circumvent the suspicions running in her head. "One day you'd be married to Jin and have too many babies to take care of, and Kazuya would tell you that Jin has three mistresses, would you actually believe that?"

"No, of course not!" She quickly answered with a shake of her head.

"So what's the difference between the thing with me and Lili? It's in the same level of being impossible." I casually shrug my shoulders, trying to act cool about the conversation when in all truth it's like a cold bucket splash in the morning.

"I want to argue, but I wouldn't want your negative future image to happen, so ok, no, it is impossible." Xiaoyu removed herself from the destructed door and lifted it up. She managed to keep it from falling by diagonally leaning it to the wall by the side of the door frame.

"Sorry about that, it seems I have a new way of venting my anger." She winked at me and left.

I gasped. Jin told her! I should've never said anything to him, that devil tells everything to his girlfriend!

I look at the door and thought about how I can still use it to my privacy, but nothing like letting Lili sleep here is going to happen anymore. I wonder if I can make Lili charge Xiaoyu for breaking it down, just to be even. Nah, questions will be asked then, and I have a limit for my dry humor.

*Sour Grape*

I took a stand at the edge of the deck and looked at the landscape of blue. Blue waters, blue skies, blue faraway shadows of islands and blue faraway moving ships. I sigh, having no luck in entertainment at all, which leads me to my secret way of killing time. Imagination. I look at the blue everywhere and try to make an image out of it. They're all blue, light to be exact, and beautiful even if it's monotonous. Now, what do I know is like that?

A smile stretches on my face when I remember every single time that I took a moment to look at Lili eyes. They're light blue, almost shining violet when it's under strong lights like the time we walked in Venice. The sun was up for most of our walk and I got so preoccupied at looking at her eyes, I didn't even know I said what I thought aloud. It was a relief she thought I was talking about the buildings that time, or I wouldn't know how to explain that. Heck, I can't even get to explain it to myself, what does all this mumbo-jumbo thoughts and fleeting frustration even mean?

"Asuka, my little niece, you seem to be alone lately."

I cringe when I knew without a doubt who's talking to me. "Kazuya." I regarded the old man to the right behind me with an angry look. "Don't talk to me, we're not close. And don't think I'll let you get away with calling me little." Plus, I'm still not over with how you keep marching on my personal life like an unrestrained horse. Believe me when I swear you'll pay for it.

"You don't need to be close to someone to talk with them. All you need is a reason to have a talk."

"I'm assuming you prepared the best reason for this chit-chat then." Considering this will likely cost you your life.

"About your tall girlfriend, it seems like the exertion I put into driving a wedge in that Chinese' head cleared too soon, so I'll just get this straight, if you don't like the rich brat, push her to Jin. Her family assets would be a big addition to my comp-

"Sorry, wrong reason." I slammed the end of my elbow to the center of Kazuya's stomach, making sure I hear a crack on his ribs and the flipping of his inner acids. The nerve of this meathead! Aunt Jun guide me with your immaculate patience or I might kill this bloke of a person you made your husband. "First of all, it's not your company, Jin won over it fair and square. Second, don't think I didn't hear the emphasis on tall, and third, no one is a brat in this ship but you. Now leave me alone." Or God so help me, the world would be happy to have one less madman alive. I wouldn't really want to care about what he said, I've been doing it for years and this is the first time I felt like stuffing his words back in his mouth. Normally, I'd let anyone get their opinions on Lili, and yeah, I've joined some nasty comments on her too, but this time feels different. It's almost like I feel the need to defend what people say about her now. You can call her a brat any other day, and use her a monetary gain, but I don't feel up to supporting you anymore. It stabs a stake inside of me, like the way I feel whenever anyone has a nerve to get cocky with their opinions on me.

"Stop being stingy all the time or everyone you know is going to stop loving you." Kazuya said with his hand rubbing the place where I hit him.

"What the heck do you mean, old man?"

Kazuya shrugged his shoulders. "Jun's word not mine."

"I figured." I said, not surprised. A phrase that mushy sounding would never come across this guy's head even for the purpose of teasing.

"Yes, and speaking of that formidable wife of mine, she tells me to not forget about inviting you to the annual Mishima-Kazama reunion. As if she doesn't bother your father enough of that already."

"Ugh, I don't get the reason for that reunion's existence. We already get sick of each other in the tournament that should be enough of a hell pit for all of us!"

"I know right! Damn woman I tell you. She keeps insisting to make the reunion at a seclude part of this deep forest she found somewhere…out there. She says she doesn't trust that just because Heihachi might not come, doesn't mean we can't destroy the neighborhood, so of course, she needs to trap us in a forest where all the dumb animals listen to her and the nature will protect the world outside." Kazuya's teeth gritted inside his mouth. He always gets tackled by the decisions of Aunt Jun, whom he can't readily fight back when Unknown, and his forbidding mother is at her back. Then again, I guess you'll need all the supernatural freak of nature to be on your side if you want to make a life with this demon bloodline. Which is why I'm already feeling a bit of sympathy for Xiaoyu, poor girl, she doesn't know the kind of whacked family she'll be getting herself into if she doesn't detach from Jin.

"Heihachi, that's one old man I haven't seen yet, where is he?" I asked, thinking back and realizing that the last time I saw him was back at the last tournament almost half a year ago and he doesn't seem to be at this year's tournament.

"Nowhere to be found which makes me hopeful that the geezer had finally died." I rolled my eyes. With this meathead all you'll ever get is complains or an unhealthy dose of morbid wishes.

"As much as I can I don't really see the point of going through knife sharp leaves and muddy terrains to meet with all of you, but I think I can get a good outcome if I go there and tell Aunt Jun everything you just said, also, old Kazumi will sure be happy to know of your wishes for Heihachi." I watch in delight as Kazuya's features quickly change into a panicked man. He balls his hands into fists and shouts at me. "Don't you dare, you brat." He lunges forward, aiming to get a good punch at me but I crouched downwards and escape him. I grab him by the calves and push him out the edge of the deck. The sound of splashing water gives me the revenge I have been itching to do.

I left the deck to get an afternoon nap at my room. If he can climb out of a volcano then I'm sure it'd be a cake for him to get back up the ship.

*Sour Grape*

Nine days at sea and the ship finally ports at Tokyo Bay. The days passed by without so much of a thing to talk about. The boys started playing card games with the ship staff when the time felt so slow, and the girls were left to their own. It seems that a quiet agreement between me and Lili was passed. We didn't acknowledge each other except for the times when we hang out with the others. Xiaoyu made sure to not let us be alone, always dragging Lili somewhere else as soon as she sees we're at least ten meters from each other.

Everyone got down from the ship and clustered in a small area by the side of the bay. It was mid-morning and the sun was rising well above the white bridge of Tokyo Bay Aqua-line. Aside from our less than noisy group, the Port of Tokyo was bustling with activities of Cargo loading and unloading by other facility ships.
Jin stood in front of all, standing above a crate to make him seen by everyone. He gave instructions about how the SS Rochefort staff will keep the ship in shape for the next voyage of delivery while all the Tekken participants will have the rest of the day to their selves until we meet later at night for the scheduled flight back to the Iron Fist Complex.

I half-listened and half-searched for Lili at the crowd. I kept looking in front me, having no preparation when the unmistakable sassy voice whispered in my ear. "Looking for me, Asuka?"

I gulped a blush inside me and cleared my throat to answer confidently. "So, ah, you heard Jin; you still have time to buy your clothes. I'm hoping the rest of the day is enough for you."

The movement of her lips to a smile scratches the top of my ear, giving me a faster heartbeat.

"I can't promise, but I will try. Sebastian will meet with you at the back of the bay." I felt the people behind me give way for Lili to leave the crowd first.

Soon, the SS Rochefort staff dispersed back to the ship. Forrest and Paul went to the arcade a little walk down south, Kazuya went to the other direction and I don't really care what he intends to do; Jin, Lars, Xiaoyu, Alisa, Leo and Zafina were planning to reserve for a dinner at a fancy restaurant before leaving Tokyo. Being busy with their arguments on which outrageous expensive restaurant to reserve, I saw my cue there to slide away and run to meet with Sebastian.

*Sour Grape*

"Miss Asuka, nice of you to join us." The pepper hair butler greeted me with a smile I can only guess as excitement. I know from what I heard in the limousine that night that he approves if not obsessed like Xiaoyu is about Lili and me. I just wish he won't be like that girl who would push the rotation of the earth just to see something happen.

I shift uncomfortably, unaware how to interact with him alone. "Thanks, uhm, so where's Lili?"

He offered me a professional smile which I'm sure he'd practiced all his butler life. "She is waiting for us in the car. Shall we take a move on? I will warn you that my charge has the length of a matchstick when it comes to patience."

Something I should've known. "Yeah, lead the way…" I give him a look, asking him to tell me what he wants me to call him.

Again with the professional butler smile. "Sebastian would do, Miss Asuka."

"Alright, Sebastian. We better get to Lili before she drives that limo here to us."

The old butler starts the walk and smiles more broadly this time. He didn't share why he was smiling though.

"So how did the thing with Leo go?" I asked Lili across the square wooden table we were eating lunch at inside the Queens Bath Resort.

It's a restaurant set above a hill that overlooks the infamous rainbow bridge of Odaiba by the floor to ceiling window at the west. It's Hawaiian inspired, reason why the chairs we're sitting at are made from sturdy rattan wood, and the ceiling fans are designed so ethnically. The food in the menu goes European, mostly French though, which is really weird because you feel like you're eating the wrong food at the wrong place.

Lili stopped swirling the iced apple cider in her wine glass. "It was impossible to convince her at first, it turns out she remembers exactly how the night went down even if she was barely unconscious anymore."

"Is she still going about it until now?"

"No, she asked Xiaoyu if I ever slept in her room, or asked to sleep at least once but of course Xiaoyu's answers were both no, so that ends her doubts."

I nod my head, feeling relieved that at least that problem didn't get big. I took another string of the coconut sprinkled white pasta that I ordered. Lili ordered the same, wanting to experience a taste of it, which I haven't tasted myself. I slurped the noodles and tasted the milk and cheese mix with the coconut. It didn't taste bad but it wouldn't pass delicious too.

"What do you think about the coconut pasta?"

Lili had attentively sliced the white noodles into tiny bits and I think she's been moving them farther away the plate since a while ago. "Honestly?" She looked at me. "It taste like electronics." Her face changed into a very unsatisfied expression.

I shake my head. "You should've just gotten the ordinary pasta."

"Do you like this stuff?" Her eyebrows knit closer together in severe question.

"Not really, but I can bear with the taste, how bout' you?"

Lili sighed and took another helping of the coconut pasta. She continued to eat without complaining anymore until she finished the dish. The restaurant promo comes with a free refill of drinks and Lili took mighty advantage of that after having her plate taken by the waiter.

We've gone through the first and second floor of Venus Port in three hours and I think she did better than I imagine. I mean, we already got Sebastian packing five shopping bags into the limousine before we went to eat.

"Alright, how do we spend the next hours now, Miss Asuka Kazama of Japan?"

I laughed sarcastically at her title for me. "Why, you're already done shopping? If my memory is correct, the only things I saw you buy are a pair of pants and some shirts…which is hardly your fashion too…" realization dawns on me as Lili waits for me to connect the dots. I give her a "tell me" angry eye and she had the nerve to smile before answering.

"They're for Leo. It's the least I can to thank her for letting me borrow her clothes, and getting bludgeoned by Zafina, and most recently, getting tangled with our mountain of lies."

You know that feeling I was talking about before? The one when you step on crap, well, it's making its way to my stomach again, and it's not good to feel when you've just eaten coconut pasta. I closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm building inside me. Just what the hell is this irrational frustration coming from? My jaw starts to hurt from the uncomfortable lock I set it in to avoid frowning.

I leaned back at the hard rattan chair and cross my arms over my chest. The strong tightening in my stomach getting lighter after every minute. I exhaled before starting to look back at Lili and say something. "You should've told me that, you know."

Lili tilted her head to the side. "I guess I forgot. By the way, I saw Madam Tussauds Wax Museum at the Decks Tokyo Beach; I think it would be lovely if we go there."

I swallowed the bile of irritation inside of me. "Yeah, lovely indeed." I said without interest. Calm down, Asuka, what are you even mad of? See how this impossible woman dismisses it like it's nothing? Well, because it is nothing and you shouldn't waste your time grudging on it.

*Sour Grape*

Lili and I kept busy going around the area of Odaiba with Sebastian trailing behind us or waiting in the limousine. Some part of me felt on the edge that while Lili was freely roaming without a care, I was scared in every turn that we might run into the others. Luckily it was all just my fear. By seven p.m. Sebastian took a full retreat for the car and since it was still an hour before the scheduled dinner reserved by Jin; Lili insisted that we try to ride the 115 meter Ferris wheel.

The Ferris wheel is known here as Daikanransha and it's a must-try when you're in Odaiba. It starts operation by ten a.m. but most people target it when the sun's down and you can see the night landscape of Tokyo from different heights at a 15 minute full revolution ride. One thing more to take note of this Ferris Wheel is that when it was first built it was the biggest Ferris wheel in the world, before the Big Eye in London opened a year later. But it's still the biggest wheel here in Japan, with the famous Tempozan Ferris wheel in Osaka boasting at second biggest of course.

We got into one of the cabin which is big enough to let six passengers in. The operator closes our door and the interior aircon soon starts to generate cold air inside the lock compartment. We sat in front of one another at opposite sides of the capsule shaped cabin.

Lili looked out of the fixed fiber-glass windows, her hands pressed hard on the railing below it.

"We haven't even moved yet, what are you looking at?" I asked her, keeping my own excitement at bay. I haven't been in this ride before because of the pricey ticket for the cab. To top it off, this would be the highest wheel I've been in my life, so yes, I was excited too but Lili was more obvious.

Lili smiled like a happy child and kept focused eyes outside. "The lights." She answered in a dreamy voice.

I spun my head to the window and saw how the lights of Tokyo turn on one-by-one. The bridge glowed in the cold color of neon blue. The buildings had accent lighting in the walls, antenna's that blinked in hot red and windows that illuminated in bright white. Tokyo tower shone in gold from afar and the island at the other side of the bay reflected specks of mix colored lights in the dark ocean.

I don't know how long I sat and stared at the night lights before the cabin jolted and slowly ascended into a steady, calm rhythm. Besides the aircon installed below the cabin seats, small partitions above the windows were open to let the evening breeze enter. The view of the city dropped to scale as we rotated farther into the circle of the wheel.

Lili capped off the window lock when we were halfway up and completely push it aside to let the breeze in. The winds were so strong the cabin jittered, not to mention our hair was flying everywhere.

"Hey, close it a bit." I told the blonde who was busy sticking her head out of the window. "Woah, don't do that airhead!" I pushed her away from the window and closed it up.

"The view is amazing here!" She said with a big grin on her face.

I rub my head in dismay, this woman is extremely impossible. "Yeah, I know, but doing what you just did might have made this cab loose balance, or worse, rotate and drop us down to death."

"It can do that?" Lili asked, more thrilled than worried.

I felt the cab lean sideward, making me drop on my knees and try to split the balance of weights inside.

"Move back to your side." I told Lili, holding her by the arm to help her back to the seat.

Once we were in front of each other again, we both gasped when we noticed that we were now at the top of the wheel, and every cab had a minute to savor that special peak.

"Asuka" I shift my head from the mesmerizing picture of Tokyo, stretching into a blanket of darkness that was speckled with abundant colors of light and into the eyes of Lili. Her iris's reflecting the glows of the city.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, it's my first time riding a Ferris wheel, I let the experience overcome me. It's definitely better than I can ever expect."

I nod at her and smile. "You have a bad hobby of saying important things later than sooner, do you know that?"

Lili looked around the cabin and softly laughed. "I didn't think they were important."

I took her hand lying by the window to get her attention back to me. "Hey, anything that includes you when you're with me, is important." I explain, pointing my finger from her to me.

"Ok." She answers readily. I settled back into a relaxing seat to view the scenery better. It was only when Lili squeezed my hand when I discovered that I never let her hand go.

"Oh, sorry." I was detaching my hand from hers but she stopped me and intertwined our fingers into a firm lock.

"Is it ok?" She asked me, her expression hiding nothing of her hopefulness.

"As long as it's fine with you, it's fine with me." We gave each other an easy smile and tried retracting our focus back to the beautiful Tokyo at night. I'm not sure how well Lili fared, but it was hard for me to keep the focus going when I can feel a knot building inside me because of the way her hand felt so good to hold. Every part of my body was cold but the hand that held hers. So soft, and warm -I wonder if I'm the only one who feels electrified to the tips of my fingertips.

*Sour Grape*

I never actually stopped holding hands with Lili even when we entered her limousine and drove to the street adjacent to the Restaurant where everyone will eat dinner before flying back to the tournament. Sebastian may or may not have noticed, he was quiet and didn't give any clues.

I came down the car at the corner of the street and told Lili to get to the place first since no one should know that we spent the day together. She agreed without hesitation and I made the decision to walk the whole street before going after her inside the Restaurant.

After my one trip run I made my way to Aqua City and inside the Five-star Restaurant of Hibiki. The inside is designed in sleek Japanese modern décor of glass and wood panels. There's a panoramic view of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge by the end of the Diner, but it doesn't compare to what Lili and I just saw in the Ferris wheel.

A man in all black pants and long sleeves with red satin lines in the cuffs and collar greeted me "Good Evening" and asked if I already had a reservation. I told him Jin's name and he led me to the back of the Restaurant where the very eye catching group of people who seemed to have been at the annual Comic-con Cosplay competition sat, ate and chat simultaneously.

Even before I sat down at the vacant seat next to Forrest and Lars, I noticed that Lili wasn't at the table. I looked at the only vacant chair next to Leo and Zafina and pondered if she was just at the toilet or something, but I knew better than to ask for her in this group. The others nudged me to start eating before the food gets hogged and finished, and with every plate I finish, it only proves my suspicion that Lili never actually did come.

*Sour Grape*

My right glove has been torn because of my last fight with Jack -7, now I'm only wearing one glove at my left hand. Not only that, but my right hand knuckles still sting when I wash them in water because of the open gash I haven't cured yet.

It's been more than a week now since I've last seen Lili and even if I wanted to ask if she was at the tournament anymore, I was just afraid of the questions I'll get for searching her.

"You're scared that your last fight is with Yoshimitsu? I don't even know how I can face Kuma." Forrest argued with Xiaoyu in the small circle of friends they grouped at in the Tekken Park. I'm just sitting in a bench behind them so I have no choice but to catch the conversation they were having.

"He's only a bear Forrest, and Yoshimitsu is very strong you know, he saved me once from Heihachi when he was planning something bad for me back then."

"Oh yes, he also helped my family when we were still poor, he gave us a lot of money. But, Kuma… I'm afraid of bears because I was once attacked by one, good thing my Dad and Paul were there to save me."

Xiaoyu reached out and rubbed the poor guy in the shoulder. "Well, it can't be that bad. Imagine Alisa and Bryan's fight, how will a duel between two androids go?"

"I will make sure to win without a scratch in my newly furnished body." The pink android answered the rhetorical question with convicted confidence.

I heard Leo laugh out loud, and I sharpen my ears to hear just what she thinks will top off the fights that's already been said. "I'm more interested in how Asuka and Lili's fight will end up!"

My eyes widen in surprise. I jolt up from the bench and sat down next to Xiaoyu. "Are you serious?" I asked towards the short blonde head. Leo furiously nods. "Yeah, all the final battles are already posted in the fighting schedule board."

I felt relieved to hear that because at least its proof that she still is in the competition. I gotten too long about not saying anything when I felt everyone's eyes on me.

"What?" I barked at them.

"Lili will kill you." They said altogether.

"Or at least permanently incapacitate you." Xiaoyu smirked at me.

"Not if I can help it." I answered coolly. "Come to think of it, I never saw her at the dinner back then." I tried to sound curious and a bit disinterested at the same time, hoping that someone would say something about it.

"Oh, she came and went but she didn't say why, she just told us to not look for her." Leo spoke up. Of course, you would know everything about her, won't you?

If Lili did do that, and everyone was there to hear it, I didn't think it was fair that no one ever mentioned it the entire meal I was there or even at the plane back here. Well, duh, Asuka, why would they mention that to you? They think you're her damn heart breaker!

"Don't worry kiddo, you're a family of the people who runs this place, your stalker won't have the privilege to kill you even if she wanted." One of the new girls in the group said in her feisty Brazilian-accent voice.

I gave the tan skinned Katarina a glare. You don't even know Lili to judge her, you oversexed-looking woman.

*Sour Grape*

Two days left to stay at this compound and one last day to fight. Today is my fight with Lili and as is every last fight, it's scheduled in the morning so that the battle with the Final Boss is done by the night.

I put some bandages at the knuckles of my right hand, knowing full well that a battle with Lili means give all or nothing. She might not be the strongest, but she sure is the most stubborn fighter I've come across with. I came across the other stages where first round of battles were already getting conducted. When I reached the Twilight Conflict, I immediately saw Lili in the row of fighters at the side of the stage. In between Anna, Julia, Baek and Bob, she stood out the most in her white dress and titan height.

"Asuka, I'm just here to wish you luck." Xiaoyu appeared behind me with Jin in tow.

"Ugh, you two make a very good match when it comes to making my life hard." I didn't wait for them to react when I made my way to the line, specifically going to Lili. I made the slightest action of tapping her in the arm and pointing my head to the backstage where I plan to talk with her. She followed me there and stood expectantly for what I have to say.

"Why didn't you stay at the dinner?" Where have you been this past week? Why are you acting right now like there's nothing wrong and it's weird that I'm talking to you here aone? I wanted to ask continuously but I didn't want to come as obsessed so I settled for the root of all questions.

"Rule no.6" I had a lot of ideas about what she would answer floating in the mist of my head, but that just wasn't one of them.

"What?"

"Rule no. 6 in the Open Relationship, Asuka." She said again. Rule no.6? What was that rule again? Is that the thing about the hugs, and kisses? Does she want to do it with me right now? Wait, that would be complicated, especially that will be fighting soon. I should reject it right?...well, only for the time being, maybe I can convince her to postpone it for-

"Rule no. 6 we don't have to tell each other everything. If you ask something I don't like, I have the right to not answer it." Lili recited evenly. She must have seen that my quietness meant I didn't remember the exact meaning of that rule. So, she doesn't want to tell me huh? Argh, now I feel even more curious!

"I see, then I can't force you to tell me if you don't want to, and it is part of the rules, but…." I lengthened my last word to emphasize my condition.

"But what?" Lili challenged.

"I can win this fight and you will have to tell me." I played with my words, trying to get the loophole out of the rule. If I do win and she tells me then I don't break the rule, I simply manipulated over it.

"And what if you don't win the fight, Kazama?"

"Then you don't need to tell me, the winner gets the privacy."

Lili deviously smiled and ran a finger at her chin. "Since you're so cocky today, I feel like taking you up on your game. Nothing would be more entertaining than have the almighty Asuka Kazama eat her own words." I smiled triumphantly, knowing that I have succeeded in reeling her in the trap.

"Well, ok then, but if I win two matches straight without a third battle, I get to ask you one more question."

Lili chuckled unbelievably. "You sure have been storing a lot of questions for me, Asuka."

"Yes." Yes, I do, and I'm determined to have my answers once and for all.


Romak 1997: Well, it won't be that impossible because we all know that Lili is a bit of a traveler :D Haha, well, she does wear jeans, she just doesn't like it so much XD Haha, yes, Asuka sure is deep in the wormhole of confusion right about now. Oh my, Am I getting another long review for being so long again? Well, I don't really mind, I love hearing what all of you have to say!

Mhuki: I made sure to add more sweetness here ^^ and don't worry bout' those lies, they'll come around in the story.

Sneeringflame: Oh, that's not tipsy yet by Lili's standard, there's still a wild side left undiscovered. Well, I hope the stories keeps getting good until now :D

AsukaEnergetic1: Nice observation ;) I wonder what Asuka would say about that...
Haha, it would be easier if she had an instruction manual on how to understand dumb Asuka. Will they or Won't they, that is the question XD

DaMastah101: lol! Asuka is best when she's in dere-dere mood XD

Nutellaholic: Haha, it's both. She's a little bit drunk and tired because of the dozy effects of the rum XD. Oh, maybe we can give her an award there too? ;D Thank you, you're too kind :) Zafina, defends that its not just a shirt! Its her favorite shirt! Thank you, I'm sorry for taking so long again :(