Differences
Chapter 6: Answer To The Past
The room was in a dead silence. The only trace of life was the sound of Lei-fang's frustrated breathing. Completely stricken by how incredulous the circumstances were, she stared in awe at the incomprehensible note. Moments seemed to go on endlessly with no sign of reaching a final destination. Blinded by both confusion and anger, she had not realized the way her body was reacting to the situation until Tina gently placed her hand on her shoulder and turned Lei-fang's face towards hers. With her opposite hand, she lightly wiped away a single tear that trickled down Lei-fang's face.
After this genuine act of kindness, Lei-fang took a deep, shaken gasp and suddenly burst into tears. Expecting that Lei-fang would not be able to conceal her pain and anger much longer, she grasped Lei-fang tightly in her arms, allowing her to acknowledge that she would never leave her side. Lei-fang sobbed into her friend's shoulder for a bit longer until she realized that she was being pathetic for crying over such an insolent fool.
Pulling away from Tina, she declared with a defiant look in her eyes, "This is so stupid. I'm such an idiot for crying over a guy."
Knowing that somehow, her friend's heart had been crushed, she knew that this was not the true emotion that Lei-fang was going through. "Lei-fang, this isn't a time to be strong. The person beside you is me. Tina. I'm not a stranger that's going to think that whatever was said in that letter meant nothing. I won't read what's in it because it's your business, not mine. But remember, I know you better than almost anyone else. I'm your best friend for Christ's sake. So just be honest to both me and yourself."
Taken aback by Tina's last remark, Lei-fang tried to reply, "But-" However, she was cut short.
"Can you just hold on for a second before you say anything? I know that I can be such an airhead at times, but when it comes down to my best friend, no secret lies unanswered. Just go back to sleep and I'll get you a drink of water. Okay?"
Surprised, yet completely willing to oblige to Tina's comforting requests, Lei-fang gave in, "Yeah… okay."
"Great." Tina turned to go get some water for her friend, but suddenly remembered that Lei-fang wanted to say something earlier, "Oh, by the way, what'd you want to say to me."
Completely ignoring what her last comment would have been, she gently smiled and said, "Thanks, Tina."
Once again, Tina was back to her clueless self. "Huh? What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."
Lei-fang lightly chuckled to herself. "Just for knowing the real me."
Tina cocked her eyebrow and had no idea about what Lei-fang was talking about. Thinking Lei-fang was an idiot, Tina answered back, "Doesn't everyone? Or are you saying that you're fake?"
Slightly annoyed, yet humored, Lei-fang replied, "Oh, never mind. Just forget it."
Quickly interested in Lei-fang last comment, she wondered aloud, "What? Did you get boob implants or something? I always wondered about you. Yours are a lot bigger than most Asians."
"Oh my god, Tina! You know what? Just go and get me my damn water," Lei-fang shouted, incredulous that her best friend would think that such an appalling idea would actually come true.
"Geez! I'm sorry! You're such a demanding freak! You remind me of my crazy high school math teacher! Except you're not gonna get fired for hitting on me. Or at least I hope not…"
Sighing to herself about Tina's immature behavior, she yelled, "Just go!"
"Fine, fine," She turned around and walked out the door, but Lei-fang was still able to hear her whisper, "stupid butthead," beneath her breath.
* * * * *
Surrounded by darkness and incessant rainfall, Lei-fang stood helplessly in the center of a large gang of men. They eyed her viciously and circled around her as though a group of sharks hunting down a lone victim. A sense of déjà vu wisped past her as the thought of Jann Lee played over and over again in her head. Just like the last confrontation with a horde of sadistic men, Lei-fang knew that their intentions were not welcoming.
However this time, Lei-fang did not seem to have the skill required to fight off these brutal bastards. She was weaker and had much less confidence. Finally recognizing why this situation felt so different, her heart filled with terror. A voice in her mind said, "This is… oh no…"
A crash was heard from behind that distracted Lei-fang's attackers. She somehow knew what would come next. Her hero would emerge from the shadows and tear down those that were trying to lay pain upon his beautiful princess. And of course, her premonitions were correct. "Hiyahh!"
An incredibly handsome man appeared out of nowhere and knocked down anyone that looked as though they may be a threat to Lei-fang's well-being. A series of marvelous blows burst from the man's hands and feet. Using his own personalized martial art that combined almost every style known to mankind, he easily defeated his degrading opponents.
After the gang scrambled to their feet and ran away, the mysterious savior stepped into the light and unmasked his identity. There he stood, 5'8 with spiked brown hair and stunning dark eyes. He wore loose blue sweats and an orange vest with no shirt underneath. Regardless of the vest that scarred part of her view, Lei-fang still had an almost clear-shot view of her lover's bare chest. Her eyes gleamed and a strikingly beautiful smile formed across her lips.
"Hwang…" she whispered as she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around her protector's neck. "Thank you so much"
He leaned his head only inches away from her face as he simultaneously placed his hands against her slim waist. "I'd do anything for the woman who owns the key to my heart."
The voice that spoke in her head continued to warn her about the dangers of this situation, "Get him out of here! Hurry! Go! You can't stay here any longer!"
After Hwang's last comment, she could not tolerate concealing her affection for him any longer. She felt completely compelled to kiss his lips in order to prove both her appreciation and love for this man. She pushed against the floor with the heels of her feet and was on the tips of her toes when their mouths touched. It was only a gentle meeting of the lips, but once it became more passionate, a shocking gunshot was heard.
Hwang quickly broke the kiss and pushed Lei-fang out of harm's way. "No!" cried both Lei-fang and the voice that rang inside her head. The two cried out in horror as Hwang's limp body fell to the ground. Her lover had just been shot by a coward who sought after revenge with a gun, rather than the fighting skills of a warrior.
She ran to his side, but already realized that it was too late. Hwang was unable to move and his attacker had already escaped. The shot hit right through his stomach and blood poured out of his excruciating wound. Hwang was gasping for breath and stifled his need to roar out in pain. He soon began to gag as a tiny line of blood drizzled out of the corner of his mouth. He then began to cough and was choking on his own blood.
"Oh my god! This can't be happening!" Lei-fang tried to gasp for breath, but it seemed that no matter how hard she tried to breathe, no amount of oxygen could fill her lungs. "No! Hwang! Don't leave me! Please! Every wonderful moment we shared together cannot end like this!" Tears ran relentlessly across her cheeks. "Oh god! No!"
She shoved her face into his chest and grasped him tightly. Crying into his vest, tears poured all over the place. Unable to stop, she pulled his body closer to her hoping that they would still be able to share a future together. "I love you…"
A gentle hand caressed the top of her head. Lei-fang looked up and was able to meet her boyfriend's dying, yet gentle gaze. His eyes looked as though they held the burden of being forced to experience too much. Water was being held in his eyes as he battled the urge to cry as well. His vision was slowly getting blurry, and every so often, a black haze would shut out the rest of the world, and only a dark mist could be seen. "Don't cry, beautiful"
Trying her hardest to fulfill the wishes of the man she loves, Lei-fang struggled with her held-back tears. She slowly breathed, taking in full, deep gulps of air, almost choking at times. "Okay…" She sniffed a bit, "I'll try."
He looked at her softly and began to speak, "Since I'm not going to be around for that much longer…"
His words were cut short as a flurry of tears suddenly streamed down Lei-fang's face and a cry broke out. "Shut up, Hwang! Don't talk like that! You're going to live!"
"Shh…" he took his index finger and gently put it up against Lei-fang's lips. "Please calm down, beautiful. I hate to see you cry. Even though you look stunning with the deep red blush in your cheeks and the watery eyes that look like ripples in a crystalline pool of water, don't be sad. I love you so much."
She bit her quivering bottom lip, trying to hold back both a creeping smile and a series of tears. Still struggling to breathe properly, she shunned her face from her dying lover and enclosed it within her own hands.
Taking his fingers and lifting up her chin, Hwang tenderly ordered, "Lei-fang, look at me."
Only willing to comply to his every desire, she opened her eyes and freed her face from the locks of her hands. Absolutely shocked at what she saw, her eyes widened in complete surprise. "Oh my god."
Held in the bloodstained hand that was earlier covering his wound, a spectacular four-carat diamond ring shimmered in the darkness. It was the only sign of happiness during this ghastly situation. Before Lei-fang was able to release any words from the chains of her lips, Hwang had to declare his love for her, "Lei-fang, I love you more than anything else in this world. My love for you is boundless and never-ending." Tears were now streaming down both Hwang's and Lei-fang's face. "Eternally my heart will be yours. You are my princess, my best friend, and the love of my life. Lei-fang, will you marry me?"
Unable to answer, she knew that only a few seconds remained. She had to do something. Could she really devote the rest of her life to a man who would no longer be living? Or shall she be able to just move on and find someone new? Never really deciding on a sole answer, she leaned her head in forward and allowed their lips to meet. She kissed him deeply and waited for him to do the same. However, that sign of affection was never returned. A strike of dreaded horror bolted up Lei-fang's spine when she realized why Hwang was not kissing her back.
Words rolled around in her head which she absolutely refused to comprehend. But after a long time, she was forced to concede defeat and listen to the words being said. "He's dead, Lei-fang."
Lei-fang finally acknowledged who the mysterious voice belonged to. It was her own.
* * * * *
Awakening to Tina's gentle coos, Lei-fang was trembling in a pool of her own sweat. "Lei-fang, are you okay?"
Gasping for breath, she reached for her glass of water. But once picking it up, her hands were shaking so much that the cup slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, breaking into hundreds of tiny shards. In a way, they looked beautiful as they gleamed against the sunlight. But if they were to be touched, they may possibly draw a trickle of blood from one's fingertips. Careful precision was needed to pick up these pieces of glass. It was a perfect comparison to the difficult journey that it takes to get into the depths of Lei-fang's heart.
"What happened Lei-fang?" Tina worriedly questioned, "Was it…?"
"Yeah, it was another dream about Hwang."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note: Hey everyone! How'd you like it? Oh my god! This chapter was sooo hard to write. I've never exactly had anyone die in my arms before. But besides that, this chapter was a great challenge! I hope you thought it was good! Please tell me what you thought about it! I'd really appreciate any reviews that you could submit! Oh, and by the way, Hwang is from Soul Blade/Calibur. You may have noticed. He's a real hottie! Just like Jann Lee! Lol! Bye bye for now! ^.^