From where he was standing Jin defiantly heard it this time; her two friends were looking for her. He pulled her closer not wanting the moment to end but knowing that she couldn't stay, she withdrew from his hold.
"I have to go, this time for real," She said forcing a smile onto her lips.
He stroked her beautiful hair, "I know, even if I wish you could stay here"
His grandfather would be getting back soon as well, and he had already faced his anger once that evening at his refusal to go to his meeting or dinner or whatever it was he couldn't risk anything happening to Julia…but maybe he could get Hwoarang to stay, show his grandfather who had been trespassing on his house he half joked to himself.
"We will meet again soon, right?"
"Better had," He said smiling at her as he gave her one final kiss, and she turned to go through the door.
"Bye Jin Kazama" She said smiling
"Goodbye Julia Chang" He whispered as she stepped out the door.
She stepped out of his room… and walking straight into a running Ling.
"Ow" She muttered as she was knocked onto the floor.
"Oh my god! Julia I'm soooooooo sorry" Ling apologised as she offered Julia her hand and pulled her up.
"We've been looking for you everywhere!"
Julia looked down; she didn't want to lie to Ling, who had become over the past two weeks probably the best friend she would ever have, but she couldn't tell her here; not with Hwoarang standing over Lings shoulder.
"Sorry, I've been trying to look for something…anything I only just realised what the time was" It was true she had been looking before stumbling into his room.
"Find anything?"
"Nope, you?"
"No nothing, despite his stupid hair and horrible looks Heihachi Mishima must be clever and hidden anything that could have been any use to us somewhere else" Ling replied
"What on earth happened to you?" Hwoarang said for the first time since they had met up again.
"Huh?" Julia said genuinely confused – hadn't she just told Ling a *modified* version of what had just happened?
"Your hair, and your clothes" He gave her a look which obviously showed what he thought; that she was stupid.
Crap, she had forgotten that her hair was up in a ponytail when they first entered the house, and her top was not even on properly anymore.
"I ummm fell over"
"You fell over what exactly? – A whirlwind?"
"Shut up smartass" Ling half jokingly, half seriously said to him "does it really matter?" she continued defending her friend.
"Fine, whatever"
Julia could have hugged her friend as hard as she could right then- for getting her out of that situation.
"C'mon" She said, "lets get out of this place, it's giving me the creeps" And with that they left.
Later that night, when Julia and Ling had parted ways with Hwoarang when he had gone a separate way to the hotel he was staying at.
"So…" Ling mused as she pulled out the key for their bedroom
"So…what?"
"C'mon! I know you and I know that something happened back there, you gotta tell me!! Please! Oh c'mon on Julia I'm your best friend!" Ling pleaded with Julia giving a look that let Julia know that if she didn't tell her she was going to be an extremely pissed off best friend.
Julia knew she could trust Ling…but, well what would she say? How would she react? Julia couldn't even work out what she was thinking at the moment, let alone try and explain what had happened back at the house, to someone else.
"Ling, look. Your right…something did happen back at that house…but I'm not sure what exactly yet – or what gonna happen"
Ling took in everything her friend was telling her – and understood nothing.
"Huh? Look I'm not stupid but I don't understand – what happened??!?!??"
Julia decided that now wasn't the best time to tell her, even though she wanted to – to explain all that had happened, and all that she hoped to happen. Something held her back, stopping her from disclosing any more detailed information about what had previously occurred earlier that evening.
"I met someone…I really like him…"
"Whoa! Hang on a minute! You meet someone there!? Who? – Was he one of the guards? What was he like?" Ling asked her words coming out all in a tumble, her face a picture of anticipation for Julia's answers.
Julia her legs crossed in a sitting position, looked down, trying to avoid Lings questioning gaze. She focused on a small thread that was hanging lose from her duvet cover on her bed, where they were both sat since entering the room. She pulled at the thread, taking her concentration away from the questions, she wanted some time to think about everything, some time to wonder if she was ever going to see him again. She was also tired, it had been a very long day, but she couldn't just ignore Ling. She was after all her best friend, and probably the only person that she could talk to about stuff like this now that her mum…now that her mum was gone.
"Ling, its really complicated, and its also kinda hard to explain right now – I don't even know what I myself am feeling, but I met someone there. That's why I was gone for ages, and I really, really like him"
Ling looked up, not really wanting to interrupt her as she had just began to tell her what had happened, but she couldn't help herself.
"BUT was he……"
Julia rolled her eyes and laughed, she knew her friend to well by now.
"YES LING, he was very, very good looking," She said with a smile.
"So what's the problem?" Her friend asked
"Its complicated, I don't even know if I'm gonna see him again" Ling noticed a hint of sadness in her friends voice as she said this.
"I'm gonna go to sleep now anyway, have you seen the time? Its about 11.30 which isn't really late but its our first official fight tomorrow"
"Yeah your right, better get to sleep and all"
They both changed into their pyjamas and nightclothes, Julia with some hesitation. Earlier that day while in a special items from China only, department store in the city, Ling had somehow managed to persuade her to buy matching pyjamas with Ling. So she now her a red, Chinese style embroidered top, along with a pair of very baggy trousers, with a similar design running the length of them. Lings were exactly the same, but instead of the tiger patterns that adorned Julia's, hers were dragons and also in a bright blue colour. Unfortunately. Julia thought to herself. Because of Hwoarangs continued whining at being dragged into clothes stores they hadn't been able to try on any of the clothes they were looking at, so at Lings "I'm sure they will look great – you may as well get them – I mean look at the price!! Its soo good! How could you refuse?"
Between them Ling and Julia had left the shop with Pyjamas, nightgowns that matched their pyjamas, slippers, even more bows for Ling, a pair of trousers for Ling, and a beautiful style Chinese dress, that according to Ling was based on the strict – but stunning rules of the Ch'ing dynasty. It was black, silk, very long, embroidered with a thousand different colours of gold and red, and Julia was pretty sure it would look absolutely rubbish on her, but somehow Ling had managed to get her to spend the last of her money on it, with the words "It will look great, and you'll win more money when you win tomorrow, so what are you worrying about?" Julia hadn't tried it on yet, she had decided that she didn't want to - she didn't need to know how much money she had wasted.
But to her surprise the pyjamas looked and fitted well, and after making sure that she knew where all her stuff was for the morning she climbed into bed,
"...Night Ling"
"Night Julia… … … … oh hey Julia! What was that guy called?"
"… …"
"Julia?" Ling asked waiting for her replying but only getting the sound that told her that her friend had fallen asleep as soon as hitting the pillow.
"Crap" She said silently "I'll ask tomorrow"
And she to then turned over and went to sleep.
"Aww man, c'mon Ling! Hurry up, some of us have to wash to!" Julia said rattling the door that lead into the bathroom in their hotel. "C'mon, I need a shower"
"I'm coming, I'm coming" was the reply. Julia could hear her friend getting out of the shower, and waited for the door to open. It did, and she was greeted by her extremely soaked friend.
"What took you so long?"
"Its that her spray I got yesterday, you have no idea how hard it is to get out"
Julia laughed, "Well its your fault, you use so much of the stuff"
Ling pretended to look hurt, "Then threw a wet sponge a her"
"Hey!"
"Hurry up and have your shower then – we gotta go soon"