Chapter 3:

Return

The early morning light strode though Jin's bedroom window. He didn't want to open his eyes, thinking that maybe all of it was a dream, a nightmare to torture him. Still he woke up to the peaceful sounds of the forest coming through his window. Jin sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Walking to the window, Jin fixed his white oxford shirt and his black silk pants he had been sleeping in. It had been more than four months since his mother had returned to him and Kazuya. Jin peered out of the window. The golden sunlight illuminated the forests trees and the somewhat tall mansion. Jin looked down at the ground about three stories below and then to the blue sky. He smiled, despite the empty feeling he still had within even though his mother was with him and he finally had a family. It may have been that Kazuya was tough, serious, and downright cruel sometimes, almost to a fault, and that he and his mother were living in Kazuya's home, but it was a family. It wasn't the best, but it worked for him, even though he was still a little angry with his father for what he had though was Kazuya's fault. Jin turned and walked down the couple fights of stairs and into a living room, where he sat next to his mother as she knitted some kind of towel or something.

"Good morning, Jin," Jun smiled. He smiled back only trying to hide the empty felling that made him want to cry inside,

"Good morning," Jin's voice came out groggy. He felt a strong hand ruffle his hair and watched Kazuya as he passed. Jin straightened his hair and glared at Kazuya. Kazuya only laughed and went on about his business.

"Just like your father..." Jin heard Jun's voice come to his ears. He looked at her. "It's not a bad thing really." She said.

"Why?" Jin asked. She chuckled lightly and responded,

"Because it could've been worse, you could've turned out like Heihachi." Jin shuddered at the thought. Jun smiled, "But you didn't, and that's the point." Jin sat down on the couch beside her and stared a hole through the floor. "Jin, honey, is something wrong?" Jun asked. He looked up and shook his head,

"No, no. I fine really." He lied. Jun knew that he was lying, but thought it best to leave him to his own thoughts. Jin stood and left the room, grabbing his sneakers on the way out. Jun looked after him, with concerned eyes.

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Nighttime had finally fallen and all was dark as usual in the midnight Japanese streets. Jin had strayed far from home and into 'Blood Talon Turf', which was a bad mistake in itself, since he didn't feel like dealing with the Korean redhead at the moment.

"Kazama..." Hwoarang's voice hissed in hatred from behind. Jin turned around at the sound of the redhead's voice. Hwoarang didn't have anyone to blame for his sister's death, but he blamed Jin for everything he and Kaziya went through. "I'll finish this right now." He declared. Hwoarang jumped at Jin and grasped his shirt. The Japanese knew what Hwoarang was attacking him for and did nothing. Hwoarang made a fist and reeled back while Jin only stared at the ground. "You..." Hwoarang couldn't do it. For some reason unknown to him, Hwoarang couldn't hit Jin. "I won't." Hwoarang let him go and pushed past him. "For her." Jin watched him walk away. He turned his head slightly only to see Baek hiding in the shadows silently clapping at Hwoarang's self control. Baek looked at him and smiled,

"Give your mother my regards." He said and took the opposite direction of Hwoarang. Jin just watched as he gathered his thoughts and walked aimlessly.

Jin soon found himself at the one place that made his heart finally just shatter, the docks. The docks were Kazi's favorite place, besides Korea. Jin stared out onto the mystic dark blue waters that rippled very lightly underneath the moonlight and the sharp gaze of the silver stars. Jin fought back the tears, 'No. No baka.' He scolded himself. 'Not now. Forget it.'

"Forget it all!" He chunked a rock and shattered the glistening waters, barely noticing that he had finished his thoughts out loud. But no matter what he did he couldn't forget and he couldn't bring himself to leave. Hwoarang watched Jin fall to his knees and stare into the sky. "Please..." They pleaded both at the same time once more. Hwoarang turned to leave. A soft white glow came from behind him. He wheeled around as Jin jumped up, the both of them somewhat horrified.

A girl about the age of twenty-one with long flaming red hair, stood in the waters. She turned around to face them, her white pants and white t-shirt stood out brightly in the water. The girl stared blankly for a moment, her light almond colored eyes staring past everything. She blinked and looked at Jin, then looked straight at Hwoarang, who thought he was completely shrouded in shadows. She looked almost entirely happy,but the look quickly faded. She sloshed through the water and climbed up onto the dock. Jin went to get on his knees,

"Don't.." She almost pleaded with him. Jin stopped and stood up slowly to keep from falling.

"Kazi.......?" Hwoarang's voice startled Jin and Kazi both. She was torn between them. Her brother or her best freind? She couldn't decide so she waited for one of the two to come to her, so she wouldn't hurt either of their feelings. Hwoarang was the one to run to her. He grasped her in a bone-crushing embrace. Kazi returned it more than willingly and tighter than she ever thought she was capable of. She opened her eyes to see Jin's. They were full of emotion and something that she couldn't place. Sadness, but happiness for Hwoarang, pain, a sort of longing, and a hurtful look was all that appeared within his dark hazel eyes of misery. Kazi felt her heart sink as Jin got up and walked away. Kazi could do nothing but hug her twin brother tighter and bury her head in his shoulder. 'Why did it have to be this way?' She thought grasping Hwoarang's shirt and almost tearing it, due to her nails. Baek looked after Jin as he walked away from the two, then looked back at Kazi.

"Hm.." Baek wondered and shook his head, "We'll see. We'll see..." He whispered.