A/N: Despite my efforts to write and publish this chapter sooner, a lot of real life happenings has prevented me from doing just that. I had to transfer schools and move to a different country the past month, and my schedule has never been busier with all the settle in work and adapting to the place that I needed to do. So, I'm sorry for this very late update, and I will do my best to make the next one faster.
Chapter XIII
Asuka
It's funny how the first thing that came into my mind after that was, you should've done this before.
When I intentionally tilted Lili's neck to move her closer to my mouth, I think back and what I should've thought was what on earth am I doing? But it just didn't happen. No kind of mental or physical rebuff took place on my body. Something I'm amazed about because there's always one of them to show up before. Not this time.
The puzzle takes form in my mind and quickly takes a seat back when Lili finally got my message. Her weight above me moves lower and her hand goes to the sides of my head. Her lips trail a slant path before her mouth takes mine. She kissed me tentatively, waiting for more reassurance. Her soft nibs made my head spin, making me tangle her hair and push her closer by the shoulder. It was all she needed to deepen the kiss and jot me on the floor to take the lead. My eyes closed in their own volition, turning the kiss more sensual and ravenous in the dark.
My heart pounded fast, skipping beats and constricting my chest. My stomach twisted in a pleasant way that terrified me. Lili stopped and panted, her breath warming my chin and making my lips buzz and my heart thud faster. It felt too good to stop so quickly, I was breathing hard, noticeably hard. Lili leaned and caught my lips again, this time I matched her kiss with equal force, and then every muscle in me went weak when her tongue flipped my lips. Our kiss ended and it was hard to compose the erratic excitement I felt.
"I can't believe I just did that," Lili said, her eyes lingering dark on me. The desire in her eyes left my heart thrashing even after she moved away from me and stood up. She turned the other way around and started to act uneasy by everything.
"It's kind of too late to go over that guilt process now." I said, standing up myself and going closer to her while my hands were busy clearing the dust out of my clothes.
Lili's shoulders slumped, she turned back to face me and squeezed me at the sides of my shoulders. She looked me in the eyes and asked, "Is this the end of our relationship?"
"What?" my eyebrows raised in confusion. "If anything, that actually confirms it more that we are in a relationship."
"So, you don't mind it?" She pressed the question with her forehead leaning close to mine. I can feel her inhalation within inches from my mouth, and her fragrance was overrunning my senses.
Right before I made the kiss happen, I only thought that I wanted to do that, but I never thought about the consequences after it. It wasn't like it will just be over after that. No, now that we've kiss, it's going to go up from here. We will have to kiss before she leaves later, when I see her tomorrow again, when she leaves again tomorrow and the next day and the next week. But it's not just kissing, we can do other things. Like we also need to hug now because if we've kissed, then hugging will be smaller in comparison. I should've thought about all this before I moved to that kiss!
"Well...what's done is done." I answered with my shoulders rising in a nonchalant movement. "Our lips have touched and we can't take that back. The thing is, kissing between us is now something that I expect…..." I smiled and saw the astounded look in Lili's face. "I mean accept!" I quickly corrected with a jumpy laugh at the end.
The squeeze in my arms softened as Lili's features came into a calming look. She smiled hesitantly, giving the slightest tint of scarlet in her cheeks. "Right, and it's not like it's your first kiss."
Before I can think of how to respond, I started to laugh and choke the words. It is.
*Sour Grape*
"Why do you need to see her bio data?" The desk clerk at the Tekken Library has been asking me the same question for the third time.
"Because I don't remember when her birthday is, and I'm too ashamed to ask. Look, haven't you ever had a friend you're so close to that you'd want to throw them a surprise party?" I pleaded my fake reason to the old lady with big rectangular spectacles and wore whole cream from skirt to jacket.
"And you want to have a look at Emilie De Rochefort's bio data? Her birthday is posted on the internet, you can see it there, just type her name and all the things about her whole family and business is open for you to see." I swallowed, admitting defeat, there's no way I can get an excuse out of that reasoning.
"Ok, can I use one of the computers here then?"
"Sure, just open the unit you want to use. The limit is two hours per person."
"Yeah? Ok, thanks." I moved away from the office desk and looked around the units of computers. No one was there but me, so all the seats were vacant for me to use. The library is a cubical, high-ceilinged gallery with four layers of bookshelves stack one above the other at the face of the walls. The computer units are arranged in groups of four with two narrow length timber tables in between. The four massive windows at the center of each wall generate enough light to keep the Library in correct shade without the need to use the chandeliers and scorch lights.
I took the seat at the nearest unit and powered the desktop to on. It took a minute for the system to boot and another minute for the internet app to open. I quickly typed the name I've been recently tied upon faith and clicked enter. True to what the old lady said, thousands of relevant results did come up with Lili's name and everything leads to being the one and only heir to the Rochefort Oil Enterprises.
News about her birth is posted, about her first meeting with the royal family of Monaco, about how she went with her father to the signing of agreement with the Mishima Zaibatsu in Japan and the Caltagirone Industries at Italy, about the public places she's been spotted going about. All her pictures in the internet was the Emilie De Rocherfort that I met in the party, not the one I recognize. I was still scrolling through the search options when I heard my phone ring in my pocket.
"Shhh" The old lady nagged at me. I nodded my head apologetically before taking my cellphone out and seeing that Lili has sent me a message.
- I'm leaving soon and I want to see you before I go. I'll be waiting at the forest trail behind the complex.
"Leaving? Now where the hell is this woman going?"
- Uh, where are you going first?
I made sure to mute my phone's ring before Lili can reply. It was only a matter of seconds before she did, just in the neck of time.
- I lost the fight. I can't stay in the tournament anymore.
What? How can I forget that! Geez, and I thought we still had a lot of time toge…I mean, good, I have to go and see her off then. I turned the computer off and went to the exit doors, the old lady held the door open for me.
"Did you find what you needed?" She asked in a sneaky voice.
"Ah, yeah, it was Christmas, how could I forget!" I lied to her. The old lady gave me a teasing smile. "Isn't she the girl who likes you? I'm surprised you're very close friends with her now."
Ok, the old lady knows. I should've guessed that, considering that it's been the only exciting news in this year's tournament, everyone just had to talk about it. "You should be, cause it's not really your business to know about it right?" I huffed confidently and stared at the lady with a strong step in my foot while I strode out the library with a not-a-care-in-the-world expression. So what if I went to the library at opening hour and asked for Lili's personal data sheet? That's not as suspicious as it sounds. Come on, a girl can get curious about her admirer – err, girlfriend, I guess?
*Sour Grape*
I trekked my way to the forest trail where trees and high bushes surrounded the area. It was a ten-meter walk before you can get to the clearing that will lead you straight the forest trail. When I did arrive at the spot where the trees grew taller and with more colors in their leaves because of autumn's start, Lili was standing by the side of the trail signage, looking bored and impatient.
"You took so long, Kazama." She said with an unsatisfied look at me. She wasn't wearing her fighting attire anymore, she was now clad in tight flesh jeans and a white top with frills on the neck and cuffs.
I approached closer to the trail, giving her my own edgy smile. "I was busy, you can't expect me to spend all my free time with you." Yet, I did just waste my free time searching about her.
Lili shifted her weight from one foot to the other, making me notice the trinket dazzled shoes that she's wearing. "Be glad then because you wouldn't need to. I'm leaving for Monaco this afternoon."
My head went back to her face after I heard what she said. "Already?" I asked her in impulse.
"Why? Do you want me to stay longer? Do you want me to stay with you until the end of this day?" Lili mocked in a sweet, innocent voice. "All you need to do is ask, Asuka. Just ask, and I'm all yours."
Now why does that offer sound tempting to me? "Nah, I can live without you." I shrugged at her. Lili smiled with a charm that said she knew I was going to say something like that. I was waiting for her to give me a comeback snide comment but she didn't say anything. She shook her head slowly and proceeded to pace me like a lioness in hunt of her prey. The dawdling even steps she made felt so treacherous in its travel that I've suddenly start to walk backwards away from her. It didn't take long before my back reached a dead end with a giant fire blooming tree. The tint of red, orange and yellow in the clustered leaves made a prism of warm colors at the shine of the sun. That wasn't the reason why I felt warm in that spot though.
"Can I ask you for something then?" Lili whispered in my ear, her face buried at the jugular of my neck. Her hands blocked against the tree at either side of me, preventing me from escaping from that position.
"I'm guessing we're gonna stay like this until dawn if I don't let you—" I wasn't able to complete what I wanted to say when Lili's lips claimed mine. She kissed me hard and pleadingly, sliding her body on me and pressing my back to the rustling bark of the tree. I had a secret notion that our first kiss felt so good because it was my first, but this second feels just as good as ever. Lili smiled between the kiss and that's when I realized that I was smiling the whole time myself. The thought made me flush and I suddenly felt conscious about everything. Including the deer that's been staring at me from the other tree since a while ago.
Wait a minute…a deer?...Oh, no! I rapidly take my hands to the front and pushed Lili in the chest to get away from me. She was on the start of arguing something when the sound of footsteps got our attention. We looked ahead at the forest trail, seeing a silhouette uncover itself from the distance.
"Asuka, I didn't expect you to be here." Aunt Jun appeared from the start of the trail, rabbits following behind her and the deer running next to her left. She wore a white tracksuit with matching black running shoes and a head band to hold her bangs back. Another deer appeared right behind her, biting a wicker basket with some bread inside it.
"Aunt Jun, I should've known you'd be somewhere here." I stressed out the words with a remorseful voice .I carefully fixed my hair and clothes before she can notice that I'm fresh from a make-out session. I really should've known she'd be here.
"Yes, I'm giving out some food for the animals we have here. Neither of those Mishima's seem to remember that they have real living creatures at their forest." Aunt Jun grabbed one bread from the basket, breaking it down to pieces and randomly spreading it in the ground where the rabbits all munched.
I was still in the process of calming down from almost having my Aunt catch me in a compromising position with Lili in the forest, but it seems like the blonde head has forgotten all about it.
"Bunnies!" Lili exclaimed and couldn't hold back anymore when she went near to Aunt Jun and grabbed one of the white rabbits from her feet.
"Why are the two of you here at the trail?" Aunt Jun asked, staring at me with a big grin on her face. I looked at Lili, who was too busy with her bunny.
"We were looking for…bunnies."
"Why were you looking for rabbits?" Aunt Jun asked me and Lili.
"I need a new stuff toy." Lili answered her with a serious look. Airhead! I stood mouth wide in horror to what she just said. From all the stupid things she can say to Aunt Jun that would be the most stupid thing.
"And she wanted to see if the bunny doll at the store looked like the real one." I quickly explained before violent measures erupt in my nature loving Aunt's mind.
"I see. Nothing can ever copy the real work of nature, Asuka."
"Yeah, that's what I keep telling her." Lili rolled her eyes at me. I glared at her, indicating her to play along.
"That's good to know then. For a minute, I thought I would catch you having a private moment with someone here."
Suddenly, bricks fell over my chest and clogged me from breathing. "Eh?"
"Yes, it comes as a surprise that a lot of the participants usually escape here just to do that. On the other hand, I wouldn't know how I would react if I ever saw you doing the same thing."
Ironically, we'd be sinking in the same boat. My body was heating up in embarrassment, I couldn't look at Lili and not give it away, so I stared at nowhere and croaked a laugh, hoping that my Aunt would let the topic go.
"I think it's very nice of you to help a friend Asuka, but aren't you supposed to be at the final battle?" right when Aunt Jun asked it, I checked the time in my phone and realized that I was running late for the final battle. "Shoot! I need to go!" I almost dropped my phone in a hurry. I ran out the same way I went in. I wish I could tell Lili bye but I was too afraid of what Aunt Jun would think about it. It was bad enough that she saw us alone together in the depth of that forest, I can't possibly add more flame to that fire.
*Sour Grape*
I arrived at the tournament arena just in time for my battle. I ran to the side of the stage where Xiaoyu had just finished her own fight. "Asuka, where were you? " She blocked my way, but I walked past her, knowing that our talk would inevitably lengthen if I say something about going to the trail to meet Lili, because even if I don't tell her now, Aunt Jun will. "Sorry, late for my fight, talk to you later!" I jumped up the stage ropes and entered the ring, facing an unexpected opponent.
"Asuka, you still came." Leo smiled at me. "I thought I was going to win by default." All of a sudden the fight felt very climactic for me. "I was planning to tell you that I was going to be your rival, but I didn't find you after your fight with Lili."
I can't put my finger on it, but I've been having mood strikes with Leo since recently. I've never really mind her before but there's been a change in this year's tournament. I feel pissed when I see her. "You didn't have to worry, I can fight with anyone here." We went closer to each other, each choosing a stance to start with before the fight bell goes on. "Ok then, I won't hold anything back for you." The boyish shorthair said with a jolly voice.
"Round 1. Fight!"
Leo stretched her left hand to stab and attack me with her elbow but I bent down, and managed to kick her in the shin. She tries to move away but I re-angle my position, lifting my feet and hitting her with my boot at the lateral of her temple. Her face snaps to the right where I repeated the same move. She winced and shook her head, probably because of feeling disorientated. Her body winds close to falling but I latch her with an uppercut to the torso. The stage rumbled with her hefty landing. She moves and tries to stand but I endlessly attack her with low targeted kicks until I cornered her to one rope of the stage. She struggles to break free from my jab and strike combo, shielding her face while she slid out the corner and positioned behind me. She moved so fast in that moment, I wasn't able to turn and face her at the right time. She bashed her elbow on my neck while I was preparing to lift a punch on her. The ambush caused air in my throat to contract and produce a whimper out of my mouth. Leo moved quickly and used her elbow to hit me in the face. I side step her and aim for a down strike which she evaded through lifting her foot up causing me to be distracted and lend her an opening to knee capping me in the gut and smacking a heavier elbow blow at my collar. I skip away and bow in a once-over, trying to ease the twinge at the places she hit me. Leo comes running at me with another elbow pointed for my head. I raised my hands and stopped her attack by taking her in the wrist. I smile at Leo who looked terrified at me. She should be. I spun her hand as far as I can, relishing in the sound of her bones cracking. Leo howls and tries to pull away. I simultaneously let her hands go and clench her neck. She coughs in my tight clutch, trembling for air once I dropped her to the floor in a rough, heavy knock.
"K.O!"
I move away from Leo, watching her suck for air and roll on four supports. It was the warning for the next battle that forced her to stand up. She looked at me with dread, her one hand massaging her wrist.
"Round 2. Fight!"
Leo takes a stand back when I tried to reach for her shoulders. She nippily changes direction, sensing that I wanted to get a hold of her. Oh, no you don't. I mutter under my breath. I stand on both hands at the floor and pound her chin with my two feet. I fold my legs down and curl it inward to ready a hit on Leo's abdomen. The German makes an effort to shield herself and repay me with a piercing swat at my face. My eyes closed in pain, nausea raiding me while I heaved. Leo crossed her arms and used it to slam my chest with a strength that crashed me to the ropes of the stage. Leo sprinted and elevated her foot to hit my shin. My knees bent in pain and Leo thrust me upward with a hit from her shoulder to my abdomen. She takes me by the back of my neck and continuously clout me with her elbow from my face to my stomach. The pain was coming from everywhere, I can't comprehend where and how much she was hitting me. With my eyes closed and mouth starting to taste like blood, I put my hands together in front and shove her gone from me with all my might. I wipe the length of my arm at my mouth that I'm sure was bleeding now. Her insistent strikes have shrunk my life meter to a minimum, and even if I can get back at her, she would only need a few more of those annoying elbow knocks to win me out. And I'm not gonna let her win. Not one fight at all. I put all the energy I can collect into one fist of mine and delivered it to her, right at the eye where it would leave a mark. Her head bends back, a cry shouting out from her. "Now that's a true punch!" I spin and kick her in the middle, flipping her out her balance, and I don't stop there. I jump up and land blows at her body on the floor. She squirms in pain below me, hardly able to stand up anymore. I pull her up for my last combo. She elevated her knee to go and hit me in the thigh, which I classically dodged and reversed with using the same thigh to boost her off in the face. She flies and get caught in the top ropes of the stage. I dashed to her, put my hands together and pressure thrusted her off the rope and completely out of the stage. I didn't hear her fall from all the cheers and shrieks inside the arena.
"K.O!"
"Asuka Kazama wins!"
"Aw, aw" I wobble my hand and rub the bandaged knuckles. It was still healing from my fight with Jack – 7 and I couldn't help but use it to whack a black eye on Leo. I come down the stage and saw Zafina helping Leo up from the lower ground.
"You've been acting so weird lately, Asuka." I jumped when Xiaoyu appeared beside me without a warning.
"What do you mean weird? It's you who's been getting in my business for the whole tournament here." Xiaoyu shaked her head from left to right. "You keep disappearing, you avoid me and the others, and now you beat up Leo like she's your sworn enemy. I don't think you notice it, Asuka, but we have."
"Hey, I have other hobbies that you guys don't like so I try and do it alone. Geez, Xiao, can't I have some me time here."
"You've been in the tournament for five times now Asuka, and this is the first time you've acted like this, even Jin has been wondering about you."
And he's and your imaginations will go even wilder when Aunt Jun unsuspectingly mentions about seeing me and Lili alone in the forest. Looking for bunnies. "Hasn't it come to your mind that maybe it is because I've been here so long that I wanted to have some changes for once?"
"Ok, that's fine, but this is the last day of the tournament. You should come and celebrate it with us. Jin is definitely going to out win Kazuya and Kazumi."
I didn't have to double think my answer. "Of course, the end of the tournament party always has the greatest food. Wouldn't miss that for the world!" Xiaoyu and I started to laugh when my calling ringtone started to buzz. I took my phone out and saw Lili's unregistered number. "You can answer that." Xiaoyu told me with a smile.
I remembered what Lili told me about her leaving this afternoon, but I can't go and meet her anymore. If I go with Xiaoyu and the others, I can prevent Aunt Jun from ever revealing that she saw me with Lili this morning. She was the kind who didn't gossip anyways, so as soon as this day ends and she doesn't tell it to anyone then everything will be safe.
"No, I don't." I left the call to unanswered until Lili dropped it. "It wasn't as important as talking about the party. Do you have an idea what the food will be?" I asked in excitement to Xiaoyu and we talked about it for hours. When the party came at night and the food was the same as it is, every tournament. It didn't taste as good as it always did. Leo went to me in the celebration and showed me the black area in her eye. We laughed about the fight and made amends. It was a great closing party.
The next morning, everyone else was leaving the compound. In the cab, the bus, and the airport, I waited for Lili to text or call me again, but she never did. To be honest, the whole night, all I could think about was how bad I felt for ignoring her.
*Sour Grape*
A month after being out of the tournament has ended without any kind of reconnection between me and Lili. I have the weird feeling sometimes that she's just waiting for me to contact her. I do get a passing interest to know how she is, or why she hasn't tried to reach me as well, but I didn't want to come off as the needy one. Maybe we're having the same exact debate right now, foolishly waiting for one another, who is both too stubborn and swelled up in pride to do it. But, it really should be up to her, right? She's the one who's in love with me, so she should be the one following me and trying to catch up with me. Not me. Yeah, it's not my job to call her. I sighed spontaneously. No, really, is it my fault because I didn't answer her call that time? How was I supposed to know that she was sensitive like that? I would say sorry if she just called. I sighed again. I took the situation in the tournament for granted. The world seemed smaller there and everyone can see each other whenever they want inside the compound. Out here in the real world, there's distances between us. We live in different countries and cities. I guess I never imagined how far we really were.
"Read Unit B of Chapter nineteen. It will be part of the quiz for next week." My teacher tried his best to raise his voice above the ring of the school alarm. The class started to stand up as soon as he left the room, commencing the daily noise accompanied with the rush to finally go home.
"How was that tournament you joined in?"
"Huh?" I vaguely registered what my seatmate, and long-time classmate said.
"The one with lots of hot guys, did you finally fished one of them?" Hana asked, with her short black hair, oval eyes, and average built body, she was one of the school's lead runner who'd only run if the coach was cute for her tastes. "Nothing again? Asuka, I have to say, I thought you would be more into guys than that." My mental defence system automatically established that there was a bad double meaning assumption in her words which I need to smartly deny and correct. "What do you mean? I've had like three boyfriends now!"
Hana's brow lifted the way it always did when she finds someone's reaction as being over the top. "Whoa, chill down. I know, I'm just saying that with all those handsome six packers you fight with in the tournament, it would be natural that you get it on with one of them since you've already broken up with that last guy." I frowned, having the sense that she thinks I only join the tournament because a lot of those she deems as dreamy boys are there. "You make me sound like a serial-dater."
Hana shrugged her shoulders. "So, what? If I was surrounded with all those muscles, I'd give in too. We're supposed to be attracted to them and enjoy our youth." She said while fixing the strap of her bag and motioning me to go out of the room with her.
We always left the room after the rush hour, not liking the bustle of having to squeeze yourself with the others. I don't really tell her much of what happens in the tournament. I never tell anyone for that matter. I just don't have the energy and time to waste and tell about how I beat other people up in those stages. I don't tell her much about my relationships as well, we've always been classmates but I never felt like I wanted to talk about those things. I was never interested in those kind of chats. Not, until now I think…
"Well…." I started just after we got out of the school building, and in our bikes out the campus. "Well what, Asuka?" Hana eagerly cut in, making me feel more compelled to tell her about it. "Actually, there is this g—"
"You hooked up with one of them?" She finished for me. So wrongly.
"What no! I don't do those one night things you do." Sometimes, I just want to bury it in her mind that I'm not like her who loves to frolic with the guys.
"But you at least went on a date with him?" Hana said normally, although I can't help but feel like she has a whole different perspective about what she's asking me.
"Ye…maybe. We just went to a restaurant." I needed to be detailed. Hana's grin reached the end of her cheekbones from side to side. "On a scale of one to ten, hot or not?"
"Hana!"
"Oh, come on Asuka, he wouldn't know. Just like before, one is the hottest, ten is the not."
"Ugh…" I groaned, regretting that I even trusted to tell her about this. This is nonsense, anyone with sight should see that Lili is hot, by the standards of a guy or girls eyes. She has a perfect body figure, with a matching glorified face that would make a Barbie look ugly. "One!" I surprised myself when I said it like it was the most obvious thing in the planet.
"One?" Hana exclaimed. "Wow, you never gave any of your ex's a one."
"I never?"
"Yeah, the closest was a five." Did I really date those guys?
"This fling of yours has got me more interested now. Is he tall?" Fling? Is that what it sounds like?
"Really tall." It made me smile when I remembered that I always needed to look up when I wanted to see Lili in eye-to-eye.
"Ohhh, red, auburn, black, blonde?"
"Blonde, with blue eyes."
"I can already picture his brooding smile. Now, does he have the abs to boast?" I abruptly stopped pedaling and looked at Hana with the most stumped expression.
"What? It's part of the perfect guy package." Oh yeah, she still thinks that Lili is a guy. Well, girls can have abs too…I just don't know if Lili has any. "I…don't know…I think so."
Now it was Hana's chance to look puzzled at me, "You haven't even seen him without a shirt and he's already hot for you? Asuka, he must be a God." Goddess would be the right term.
"I don't know, Hana." I said with worry, unable to process if I can still take this talk. Thankfully for me, we reached the fork of the road where Hana would take the opposite street from me. She rang the bell of her bike to signal the change of her route. I rang back mine, saying bye to her. Before she curved around to cycle westward, she told me something, "Look, whatever it is that's going on between you, just go with it. If you're both single what's the problem then?" And then she went on to leave me at the intersection.
She's a girl. And she lives sixty-one thousand and eight hundred miles away.
*Sour Grape*
I arrived home a little bit after four in the afternoon. Usually, when I get to come home this early, I'd go straight to the dojo after getting changed and try to slip in some private training, but I know I have to do something different today. I first went to the garage and locked down my bike then I entered the house and made sure to go to the kitchen and fetch some food for me to take upstairs. The wood polished floor made it dangerous for me to run as I willed, a reason why my old man specifically chose them for the house. It was pitch black inside because no one was home. My dad would stay at the dojo for the next four hours –enough time for me to do what I want, alone. I opened the recessed lights and went to the kitchen, heading straight for the refrigerator and heating the frozen ramen that Dad always left for me. In another minute, I hopped two steps a time at our carpet covered stairs, leading to the spacious hallway and my bedroom at the furthest left.
I dropped my stuff on the floor and placed my spicy ramen next to my computer as I waited for it to boot. As soon as the screen flashed open, I started to search down the same thing I wrote in the library. And there she was again. Emilie De Rochefort. Pictures of her occupied my screen, and one of them was taken at the recent Rochefort-Mishima Gala Meeting. I clicked on the photo and it replaced my whole desktop.
Lili in her Rochefort get-up, looking so much like her but at the same time, being so unlike herself. Words and questions were running in my mind, and I just wanted to finally scream them out to her.
"Look, you modern impossible Princess, I don't know what I want to do with you, and you're driving me nuts with your own crazy way of handling things. I don't understand you at all, it's been one month now and I don't know if you're still alive because I haven't heard anything from you." I swallowed strings of noodles before continuing. "And don't tell me that you want me to contact you cause I don't know your number and I have no way to know it at all. You have all the money to do that, and you're the stalker in this relationship so don't expect me to do anything! If you don't care about this anymore, then fine, I can always date someone new here. I'm a serial-dater you know, boy's line up for me here!" I swallowed more strings of the noodles and gulped down the soup from my bowl. After finishing the ramen, I stared long at the picture of Lili, smiling gracefully for the cameras, her eyes looking straight at me.
"Don't look at me like that." I threw the empty cup at the screen before taking it to the trash under my study table and turning off the computer. I gaped at the black display and growled in an attempt to cool down.
I stood up from my sturdy chair and raised my hands, saying "I'm going to the dojo." I moved to my cabinet and took out my kimono training attire. "I'm gonna train so hard, I won't let you win another fight." I took my blazer off and started to unbutton the top of my under polo. "And don't even think I'll let you kiss me anymore." My hands stopped moving on the third button. Stop thinking about her! I close my eyes and demand myself. I breathe in and out.
"Know what, I don't feel like training today." I slumped on my bed and took my phone out. "I can just surf the net until night cause I don't have anything else to do."
*Sour Grape*
By ten in the evening, I had gone through a lot of websites and hyperlinks that eventually lead me to type an international code number on my phone. The ring was quickly answered by an automated machine.
Good Day, you have reached the line for the Rochefort Manservant Associates. If you would like to talk to the Head Butler Eclair, press 0. If you would like to talk to Second Head Butler Preene, press 1. If you would like to talk to butler… (Half an hour later) If you would like to talk to Mademoiselle Emilie's butler, Sebastian, press 53.
My eyes bulged out when I finally heard the name I was waiting for. I blasted the two numerals into my touchscreen pad and cursed the world in advance if this does not make it through. There was no ring, and I couldn't hear any kind of sound from the other line. I held my mobile phone closer to my ear, a flood of relief washing me when I heard the familiar cling of a call being answered.
"Bonne Journee, il s'agit de Sebastian, comment puis-je vous aider?" Oh, please no!
"Sebastian stop talking French! I don't understand you. It's me, Asuka Kazama, is Lili there?" I talked without stopping, my voice sounding like it was ready to rake the butler from the other side of the world. He didn't answer, and I think it's because I scared him, so I tried to call his name again, but this time, I was calmer. "Sebastian?"
"Forgive me, Miss Asuka. I was caught in silence by your call. Yes, Miss Lili is definitely at the Mansion right now."
Lili, if I were you, I'd be praying to everything holy by now! "Oh yeah? Well, you think you can hand me to her? I need to have a serious talk with that woman."
"Please wait Miss Asuka." Sebastian's line changed into a jazz melody, the light beating rhythm was making me feel edgy and impatient at my place. It didn't take long for Sebastian's voice to come up again.
"Miss Asuka, Miss Lili is unable to speak with you at the moment, she reasons that she is too busy playing her new batch of Digimon games."
Digimon games? "She said that?" I can feel my temper rising.
"Crystal and clear." I went to the trouble of searching this number and paying a lot for this international call and she's going to ditch me for a kid's game?!
"Sebastian, just give the phone to her."
"Understood Miss Asuka." I waited in hold breath as Sebastian set up the call to Lili.
"Miss Lili, Miss Asuka would like to speak to you."
"Your trick is not going to work for a second time Sebastian, I will finish this level today!" I can't keep up with this woman.
"You might want to reschedule that considering that we have a lot to talk about." I heard the distinct crash of a heavy object, and Lili blabbing something to Sebastian that I couldn't understand. "And uh, I it's just about something you forgot in the tournament, nothing special." I heard the background music from the game she was playing and crumpling noises, while she still didn't say anything to me. "Huh, if you don't have the time to talk with me, then fine. I'll just go to the mix-up my classmates invited me to—"
"No. I have time." Lili said in haste and paused. "I always have time for you."
Romak 1997 : Long time! I see, thanks. And sorry for that Monaco being an island, I was supposed to use another description for it, but I changed it to island and well it just came out wrong, but thank you for the info, I'll keep that in mind :D
sneeringflame : Hey, sorry the update took long, thanks for the great review! :D
Mhuki: Yeah, there won't be any thrill if Asuka just wins it all! Well, you're right that the others were part of the chanting crowd XD I did my best to make that scene perfect :3 thanks for the overflowing review!
Haha, oh yes, I don't like fast happy endings :P we're gonna squeeze this story to its maximum!
FNAFFRENZYCAT: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it :D
Nutellaholic: Ok, I know I owe you a big box of chocolates and a one year supply of sorry! this chapter took so long to get done (literally) and I'm just happy I finally updated :'D Thanks for the wonderful review :D and Haha, I think it's high time we meet one of them girls mothers XD
AsukaEnergetic1: I gotta say that I hope you didn't check for updates this past month...cause there wasn't any (sighs) Glad to have you here as well :D
Oh, you're like me as a reader then ;) haha, no, don't worry, I don't like breaking pure innocent hearts ;D Oh, we'll get to know why she disappeared...soon ;) Asuka is a secret magical shoujo otaku XD
DaMastah101 : That's ok :D Good luck with work by the way ;) haha, Kazuya is a bit of under his wife in this story XD about the recount of events, I told them chronologically, based on what year they were released. So it went like this, Tekken 5 (where Asuka debuts), Tekken 5: Dark Ressurection (where Lili debuts) Tekken 6, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and then Street Fighter x Tekken. So, I actually kind of mixed everything where they both appear in the Sour Grape canon.