It was sundown. Julia was on her way back to the high school grounds, thinking about her encounter with 'Jim'. She knew he was right.

Why did I let my stupid pride get in the way? Julia thought, angry with herself, now I've got to face her in this stupid fight and someone may really get hurt. She couldn't believe her own foolishness.

Her mother's image popped into her head; Michelle Chang looked disappointed in her daughter and horrified that she would use her talent for something so unimportant, as compared to the millions of people dying all over the world every second.

Jin's right. I have to stop this. I'm telling her that I withdraw from the match, Julia thought, shaking her head, feeling amazing disappointment in herself.

She approached the school and saw a crowd of people had built up to see the great spectacle. Julia pulled herself together and walked briskly over to Ling.

"Well, I have to give you something for actually showing your face," Ling scorned, "But you'll get nothing when I win this."

Julia swallowed the insults that were rising from her throat and started to say, "I'm sorry but I forfeit" but the words never escaped her mouth.

Instead, Julia felt a sharp pain invade her left side as Ling kicked her. Julia tumbled down onto the rough sidewalk.

How dare she humiliate me like this - I came here to make peace, Julia positively exploded.

The faceless crowd had begun to chant, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Two can play at this game," Julia muttered under her breath. She got up and in a split second, charged straight for Ling, knocking her to the floor, where she repeatedly kicked her. Her mind was consumed with anger – it all tumbled out and the person who got the wrath of it was Ling.

She could hear Ling's screams of mercy distantly, but yet, she couldn't seem to stop, her anger had to be taken out on somebody.

Suddenly, she heard Sakura cry out, "No, Julia! Stop!" And with that, she was pulled away from the defenceless and bloodstained Ling, who cried tears of agony.

Julia stared at her in disbelief. Did I actually do that to another human being? Tears started to sting the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks.

To make matters worse, she saw Jin push his way through the crowd. He had seen everything she had done.

Julia buried her face in her hands and ran as fast as she could, away from the shocked faces of the crowd, from Sakura's distressed face and Jin's look of disappointment.

She had been running for a while and when she made sure no one was following her, she slowed down and walked, still crying bitter tears of frustration.

Presently, she came across a deserted park. It was late and the moon cast shadows over the ground. But Julia hardly noticed, she walked over to a swing and sat down.

This strangely, had a comforting effect on her. Maybe it was because her mother had often taken Julia out to play on the swings when she was little.

I miss you, Mom, Julia cried harder, I wish you could be here with me now.

The breeze picked up and seemed to wrap itself round her. It felt like her mother's loving embrace.

Julia hugged herself trying to keep hold of her mother so that her loneliness and sadness would fade away finally.

A rustle behind her, broke through Julia's thoughts. Quickly standing up, she assumed her defence position. 

"It's me," said the voice. Julia felt her hands drop down to her sides as Jin stepped out of the shadows.

"You followed me?" she looked at him, tearfully.

"I had to. You seemed so upset . . . " he stepped closer and took note of her face, "you've been crying." Without thinking, he reached out his hand and ran it down her face.

Julia found this so comforting she burst into tears again.

Immediately, Jin wrapped his arms around her. He held her as her body shook with jerking movements as she wept.

"You must think I'm totally stupid," Julia looked at him, trying to wipe away her tears.

"Why?"  He looked confused.

"Because you warned me keep control of my situation and not to stoop down to Ling's level. Sakura warned me . . . " Julia trailed off, and my mother warned me too.

"It wasn't your fault. I saw Ling hit you first. You only had a natural response," Jin looked at her.

"Yeah, but I couldn't keep control of that 'natural response' – I beat her until she was bleeding from several different places," tears formed in Julia's eyes once again.

Jin sensed she was about to cry again and immediately handed her a tissue.

Julia laughed and thanked him.

"Besides, Ling wasn't really that hurt. She was only making it out to be a bigger thing than it was," Jin told her.

Julia forced a smile.

"Why did you ever come here to Japan anyway?" he asked.

She hesitated. Could she trust him? She looked at the sincere expression in his eyes and found that she could.

Taking a deep breath, Julia said, "I'm here to find my mother, Michelle Chang. She left for Japan to seek out Heihachi Mishima and never returned."

Jin did a double take. She was looking for his grandfather! It was clear that she was unaware of the fact that he was Heihachi's grandson.

"Do you know anything about him?" she asked, obviously distressed.

Jin faltered. He could risk losing the first girl he had ever wanted to be with by telling her that he was her mother's enemy's grandson.

I can't lose her now, he thought, If I told her, we'd become mortal enemies too.

"No, I'm sorry. I've . . . never heard of him," he reluctantly lied, hating himself for it.

"Oh," Julia looked down, "Thanks anyway."

Then, she looked back up at him and realised all this time that she had felt the most comfortable she had ever been with anyone.

He leaned closer to her, hesitatingly. She returned his advances and shyly kissed him.

Their kiss grew more passionate. She never wanted it to end.

Shivers were sent down Julia's spine as they broke apart and she looked into his dark eyes.

Julia smiled at him and slowly looked away. A strange new feeling coursed through her. She had never felt it before and could only have one answer to what it might mean – she was falling in love with Jin.

Ling glowered from her hiding place. She had just witnessed Julia and Jin share a passionate kissing session.

It's not enough that she has to nearly kill me by going manic, she has to try and steal my boyfriend too? She tried to keep back her tears.

She furiously wiped them away, when they did fall down her cheeks. She was livid that Julia had been allowed to do this to her and get away with it.

She strained to listen as Julia started to tell Jin more about why she was in Japan.

Then, watched as Julia smiled shyly at Jin.

She won't be smiling like that when I'm done with her. Julia Chang is gonna wish she had never set foot in Japan, Ling vowed to herself, walking away to proceed with her plan.

Julia felt light-hearted. Smiling, she walked back to her rented out flat. It was cheap and comfortable enough for Julia to stay in temporarily whilst looking for Michelle.

She was deliriously happy. She didn't even mind that she was acting so out of character. She had seen girls act like this all the time on those totally pointless and incredibly cheesy love stories on soaps, and for the first time, understood why the girls acted so dumb.

Julia paused, her key a fraction of an inch away from the key-lock. There was a folded piece of paper attached to the door.

Looking around her cautiously, she plucked it off the door and slowly opened it.

Her eyes grew wide. The note read;

"I have information on your mother. Come to the old warehouse past Li Street. Jin."

Hurriedly, she dropped the note, turned on her heel and ran through the dark streets of Japan.