Day 3
Some time later in the morning over at Hong Kong
Young Chun-Li anxiously glanced at her watch as she leaps up from the sofa and strode to the window. Her father would be home soon and they would fly off to Japan to visit an old friend. Seeing no sign of her father's car, she checks her bags once more making sure she had left none of the important gifts out.
"And my training gear! Yes must not forget training gear!" she checks her bags once more and smiled on seeing the little vest and leotards. She had brought at least five sets of her specially altered training gear for this trip.
Checking her passport once more she made sure that it had not expired. She wanted nothing to go wrong for this trip, checking the calendar she knew that today is the day of departure and there would be no mistakes. By tomorrow latest
The doorbell rang and Chun-Li sprang to her feet wondering why her father didn't bring his keys. He was so busy the last few days that it was no surprise that he would forget his keys. But he better not forget that they had to go today. And she went on to pick non-existent lint from her new jacket
"Good morning Miss. I'm a representative of the Mishima Corporation and we have an insurance policy that will be suitable for a young lady like you..." The man bombarded her with endless list of reasons why she should purchase a piece of policy.
"And then we have this premium life insurance for the working men in your life---"
Chun-Li cut him off by slamming the door in his face. She looked at her watch as she flopped down on the sofa. The phone rang and she rushed to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Si-mui? Si-mui can you come out? For a movie?" It was Fei Long.
"Oh its you. I'm expecting an important call. Could you call back later?"
"Si-mui wait! There's something I need to talk to you about. I need to talk to you about us---"
"Goodbye Fei Long. See you in a month or two." She cuts him off and ended the call the moment she heard the keys turning in the lock.
"Daddy!!" she exclaimed, vaulting from the sofa and landing in front of her slightly startled father.
Her father with his crew cut black hair and pencil thin mustache looks haggard from his late night of clearing out tons of paperwork. His red checked shirt looks as if it hadn't being washed for the last few days. The most noticeable feature about this man is that the cleft in his chin seems to make his jaw more prominent. Chun-Li sneezed as the strong scent of roses from his shirt irritated her.
"Can we go now?" she sniffled, grabbing a tissue to clear her nose.
"Behave yourself Li." He ordered, his sternness threw her off slightly.
"I have a sudden assignment." He watches the disappointment in her eyes. Lifting her chin he smiled and continued.
"And you're a big girl now. I am letting you go by yourself."
"You're not coming?"
"No. This assignment is too big to delay. The chance to put it into play has finally come I can't afford to miss it. And hand this over to Gouken."
"You don't need me to stay?" Taking the letter, she shoves it into her pocket
"I don't think you want to stay. Its time for you to be a little independent."
"Okay then."
"I'm sorry. And do take care of yourself. Kick your little boyfriend's butt for me."
"He's not my boyfriend." Chun-Li blushed. She missed her old friend although she kind of liked him.
"Oh. And Chi Long will drive you to the airport." He picked up her bags.
"Okay." Chun-Li confirmed as she opened the door and headed downstairs.
Downstairs a young man in his mid-twenties waved on seeing them, he pushes back his floppy center-parting fringe even though a red sports band held it up. Chun-Li giggled when he smilingly opens the passenger door for her. Chun-Li waves back. watching the other neighbours gathering around her father as they drove off.
----------
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Chi Long asked as they near the airport.
"You remind me of someone." She had seen him flip his fringe at every traffic light they stop at. Yet she can't help but feel he reminds her of an old friend, since he's almost a dead-ringer especially his side profile. The thought of that made her beam even wider
Partly it was due to the resemblance that made her see him as the big brother she never had. And since he was her 'ming fu qi shi'(de facto) dai si-heng (big brother of her martial arts class). He's someone whom she counted on to fend off Fei Long.
"What? Your little Japanese boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Yeah like Fei Long is not your boyfriend?"
"Of course he's not. He's always bugging me."
"Ah. No wonder." He flips his fringe with his right hand again
Reaching the airport, Chun-Li found that she still has enough of time to waste and hence dragged her si-heng around the shops to make sure she has all the things she needs. At a confectionery shop her eyes sparkled at the rows upon rows of chocolate on display. Her sharp nose caught the scent of roses and a hint of purple hair intruded the corner of her eye.
"He should be training. You should not go to Japan." A soothing voice whispered in her ear startling Chun-Li.
"Si-heng! You said something?" She stood up in alert, scratching her left ear, as the scent seems to make it itch incredibly. There was something annoyingly familiar about that smell.
"Hmm?" he glances up and Chun-Li realized that he was standing at her right side. She turns towards the other direction watching the entrance of the shop and the people passing.
"Last call for passengers of Flight CX064 leaving for Osaka." the announcement made her forgot what she was doing. Paying for her chocolates she remembered something else.
"I'm sorry I can't attend your wedding. Since they had both just return to the dojo."
"It's okay. Li-Li understands. You better go now or you'll miss your flight."
"Bye then." Chun-Li gave him a quick hug.
"You take care now. And kick your little boyfriend's butt when you say hello for me."
She grins and waves back, for once not arguing about whether the old friend she was to see had achieve boyfriend status or not. Latest tomorrow she would see her old friend again.