Hwoarang was feeling good about himself today. His master had decided that some of the new students should face him, to both improve themselves and give Hwoarang a chance to spar some. He constantly sought to improve his skills, and had even fought in the famous King of Iron Fist Tournament on three separate occasions. He knew that his master, Baek, understood and recognized his strengths and power. Hwoarang felt more confident because of his master, and always loved to show off in class. Now that he was older he would still show off, but he was more intense about his fighting.
Hwoarang had five students to help. He was going over the basics with each, as they had never done any kind of advanced sparring. They followed strict rules, each fight would only last a few minutes. They could not strike the other's head. Hwoarang had to go somewhat easy on them, especially since they were new. He could tell they were a bit nervous, as they should be going up against a stronger opponent.
The first was a small boy, not older than thirteen. He was skinny, and Hwoarang figured straight off the street. Most of these kids came that way as Baek had a way of taking them in to his care. That is how Hwoarang had started in his study. Hwoarang eyed the boy, both lightly bobbing on the balls of their feet. He easily dodged the boy's punches and kicks, occasionally returning some to check the boy's guard. He did fairly well for a new kid, but kept leaving his left side open. Hwoarang decided to remind him why that was a bad idea. The boy took the blow hard and stumbled back a few steps. That was the end of the match.
The next two were against twins, a little older than the first boy. The first was fast and light on his feet, while the second was much better with punches. Hwoarang worked them hard, and was pleased with their abilities. They had great potential, and he could already see how they would fare in his gang. Some of his gang members game from this school, although many joined with little experience in a martial art.
The fourth opponent was a young girl, probably the sister of one of the other students. Hwoarang never paid much attention to the other students unless commanded by Baek. She wasn't bad, but he figured she wouldn't last much longer. Most girls would start and then quit after a few months. They either felt uncomfortable, or someone forced them to quit. Not like it mattered, really. Hwoarang had no problem fighting any opponent, male or female. He blocked a few punches and kicks, before taking advantage of an opening. Her last kick missed his head, and he took that opportunity to grab her from the back and flip her to the floor. She stared up, surprised, and quickly recovered her footing. She stood up and bowed out.
He had yet to break a sweat and he was fighting the last of the group. He blocked a few punches, and then turned to place a quick kick in the kid's mid-section. The student grunted and stumbled back a few steps. It was over, and they all knew it. It felt good to spar, even if his opponent was weaker. It helped him take his mind off things, including the fight with Isa last week.
"Hwoarang, come here for a second." It was his master. Hwoarang bowed to his opponent and turned to jog towards Baek. He noticed someone standing beside him, trying to hide. When he got closer, he knew why.
"She seemed impressed by your display there. Her name is Isa. I'll leave you two to get to know each other," with that, Baek disappeared towards the class to finish up for the day. Hwoarang groaned. Baek often tried to set him up with seemingly random females. Many would walk by and see him, impressed with his skills. Others came as relatives of students. And some, well, Hwoarang had no idea where Baek found them. He figured Baek just wanted him to settle down with some nice female, but Hwoarang did not intend to do so any time soon.
"Sorry, I just happened to walk by and well, he grabbed me and pulled me in and I tried to get away but he wouldn't let me and I really," she started babbling, her voice shaky and her Korean failing.
"Come with me, we can talk somewhere else." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards his room. He lived with his master in a small apartment above the school, complete with two bedrooms with private baths, a living area, and a kitchen. The pair passed the class, causing glances and whistles to come in their direction. Once in his room, Hwoarang shut the door.
"I'm sorry about the other day, I overreacted," she blurted. She looked up at him, her eyes watery and red.
"It's OK. I didn't mean to mislead you or anything. I am a gang leader, nothing can change that."
"And I respect that," she interrupted. "I was just upset, and took things the wrong way. I've been thinking, and well, it doesn't matter what you do. I never asked, and it really isn't my place to be mad about it."
"Seriously, it's not like I lied to you." She looked angry for a moment. "Besides, you just can't resist my body." Hwoarang smiled.
"If you say so." She paused and bit her lower lip. "I just wanted you to know that I wasn't mad, and I still want to be friends. If that is OK?" Hwoarang nodded at her and smiled. He had an idea of something to maybe make it up to her, although he knew he had done nothing wrong. It just seemed like something he should do. Besides, it would mean that he could get out and away from the interventions of Baek.
"Wait here. I need a shower." He motioned for her to sit on the bed. He saw her grimace, looking at the piles of clothing on the floor and bed. He pushed one pile off the bed, and patted it. He was glad that no girl had left something behind, as that would be embarrassing at this point. He disappeared to the back of the room and walked into the small bathroom. He quickly showered, trying his best to not linger. Once done, he stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He left the bathroom and entered his room, looking for something to wear. He caught Isa staring at him, admiring his body.
"Like what you see?" He asked. She blushed and diverted her eyes. He chuckled and settled for a pair of jeans and a two-color zip-up jacket vest. He disappeared to the bathroom to quickly change into his pants. When he came back out, he saw that she was staring at him again. He zipped his vest and sat down beside Isa to put on his boots.
He looked briefly to see what she was wearing, and smiled. She had on jeans and a blue tank top that showed her cleavage. In fact, from his position, he could see down her shirt, and knew she wasn't wearing a bra. She was also wearing boots, although hers had taller heels. He grabbed his goggles and pushed the damp hair out of his eyes.
"Let's go," he said, holding out his hand. She took it and let him lead her out. They passed groups of boys, all finished with their lessons. They continued to stare at the couple, and Hwoarang made sure to narrow his eyes at them all. They made their way to his bike and he hopped on. She followed him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He started the motor and peeled away, taking a path that lead out of the city. She didn't talk, but occasionally he could hear her laugh as she enjoyed the ride.
It was a beautiful day outside and he intended to enjoy it. The afternoon was drawing to a close by the time he reached the spot he wanted to share with her. The sun cast a golden haze over the land, although it was still bright and hot. The spot wasn't really anything special, but he enjoyed it. He stopped the bike near a tree and helped her off. He leaned against that tree, propping himself up with his arm. She stood beside him and stared out.
The view was nothing spectacular at that time, but it was quite peaceful. The city was close so that the two could see it, but most of the sprawl lay in the distance. A few birds chirped, but for the most part it was quiet. The pair stood there on the high ground, not speaking but enjoying the company. Hwoarang leaned over and gave her left breast a playful squeeze. She turned on him and stared into his eyes, smacking his arm away.
"Couldn't resist."
"Why did you bring me here?" She ventured, seeming to ignore his comment.
"I used to come here a lot to practice, and to think." He paused, lost in thought for a moment. He remembered times when he would come just to be alone, or to train in his mind for upcoming fights. He cocked his head to the side and examined her face. She was once again staring at the landscape. The wind had caught her hair and was blowing the loose strands around her face. He gently brushed them back and then let his hand slowly fall down her cheek.
"Hwoarang," she mumbled, turning to face him. He suddenly bent down and captured her lips with his. He wasn't quite sure why, but he felt the need to do so. He deepened the kiss, and pulled her body close to his. He could feel her falter under him, so he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. Her lips were slightly moist and he could taste her lip-gloss. He parted his lips slightly and ran his tongue over her mouth. He heard a whimper as she responded. He could taste her, smooth and sweet almost like fresh fruit. After some time, he broke the kiss and rested his head on hers. He continued to hold her close to his body, and he could feel her heart beating fast.
"We should head back," he started. He felt her nod and turn her head to admire the view one last time. It wasn't close to dark, but it was starting to cool slightly. He let go of her body and walked to the bike. She followed and sat behind him. The ride back was quiet, but there was something different. He could feel that her body was closer to him, and her hands strayed farther below his waist.
Hwoarang wasn't quite sure where to go from here. He didn't know how he really felt about Isa. Sure, he was attracted to her, and he normally wouldn't hesitate to sleep with someone like her. But, something was stopping him. He couldn't tell if he just felt inadequate to her, or if he was afraid that she would become too attached. He didn't want anything special from any one girl; he just wanted things to be the way they always were. The last thing on his mind was a steady relationship and settling down.
A voice always asked him why he even cared what happened to her at this point in his arguments. He never cared before, so why should she be any different. He was getting nowhere with this argument. Being close to her only made things worse, and he feared he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation much longer.
He continued the drive, passing his school as he went. He had every intention to drop her at her apartment and then spend the rest of the night with his gang, as usual. When he pulled up at her place, he watched her get off the bike.
"Thanks," she muttered, shifting her gaze down. "I suppose you are going to run off as normal." He detected the bitterness in her tone.
"I have plans, but I can come up for a few moments, if you like." Hwoarang wanted to smack himself, but he couldn't bear to leave her upset. And he couldn't figure out why. He followed her up to her apartment, and then settled on the couch. She pulled two sodas from the fridge and brought them to him.
"No beer?" He joked.
"Not if you're driving later." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, I ran out. I was going to get some, but got a little lost and ended up near your place." He laughed.
"Anyway," she began, "thanks for today. I really appreciate your friendship." Hwoarang let out a sigh. Why did women always have to be so serious?
"Friendship? I didn't realize you were lonely." She bitterly laughed at his comment.
"You're the first person who has treated me like a person. Most guys try to sleep with me, thinking that I am some easy American. Or they see me as an easy target to steal from. The girls hate me, I suppose because of the way that the guys react when I am around. But you changed that. You treated me like an equal. If you wanted to just use me, then you hid it well."
"Glad I could be of service." He bowed his head a little and smirked. They started at each other for a second. Hwoarang felt much better than he had for quite some time. She seemed to feel the same way he did, or at least act that way. He had no problem with just being her friend. It might make it easier for him to make the transition to a friend with benefits at this point. He looked at the clock hanging on her wall.
"I know you need to be somewhere else. Just don't let ten days go by before you stop by again."
"I am going to participate in some tournament competition next week. You want to come?" She looked up at him and nodded.
"I'd love to." He smirked and slipped a card into her hand. It listed the location, and served as her ticket in to watch him. Hwoarang then left, planning to meet his gang at their usual spot. He was ready to get drunk and waste the night away.
Author's Notes:
Thank you for reading another chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it. I finished the draft of chapter seven last night. It is my goal to stay at least three chapters ahead of what I post, so hopefully I can keep that up. Again, thank you for your reviews. I appreciate your comments!
As for how I view Hwoarang, I see him as more of a cocky person than a jerk. While he can be mean, there has to be some nice side to him. I think that a lot of what we see in the games is the side of him that likes to fight more than the average, everyday Hwoarang. Just how I feel though, but I thought I should explain that anyway.