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Finding my way to you
Chapter Eighteen: Best Friends
By: czee
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Chris came along the hall to assist Xiaoyu in carrying her things to her room and settling them down. She blinked frantically when Xiaoyu stopped in front of Jin's door.
"Xia-Xiaoyu." Chris slowly muttered taken aback by the revelation. She didn't know that she was that close with her travel buddy. Sure, the fact that she's wandering with him implies something but she didn't think it was this.
"Well, Xiaoyu I didn't know you're… ahh… what I'm saying is erm… I know it's not really my business who you get… intimate with but Xiaoyu! You can't be serious!" Xiaoyu's eyes widened immediately. Were they giving that impression?
"Chris. I am not sleeping with him!" she bristled. Chris laughed nervously.
"Well… I knew that. Haha. Of course you aren't Xiaoyu. I shouldn't even have bothered. Of course you wouldn't sleep with him. Well, at least not with Dave still breathing." The tightening of Xiaoyu's face surprised her. The fact that she was suddenly staring at the door surprised her even more. Normally, it was unprecedented behavior at a host's house, but Chris knew that she was impetuous. She never faulted her for it. But… why? What was so untouchable about Dave all of a sudden? Something had happened? Perhaps it was Dave who sent her away? What was she doing away from home anyway?
"Um… Chris-san? Is Xiao in there?" Chris literally jumped about a foot high. The reformed bully was standing behind her. She hadn't even noticed!
"Yeah. But… I think we'd better leave her alone for a while. I don't know what I said but apparently, it was the wrong thing." She almost gasped when she saw the concern Jin held for Xiaoyu in his eyes. It didn't touch his smile though.
"Well then I think that I should go in. Her anger lasts a long time otherwise. You might not even see her for dinner. I'd go and try to soothe her." He smiled at Chris gently. Chris just sighed and nodded. Perhaps it's best if he calms her down. He's been traveling with her for quite a while, he should know how to handle her. With one last appreciative smile at Jin, she walked away.
.:o:.
Jin knocked gently on the door and was surprised when it opened just beneath his hand. Xiaoyu didn't look at him but jerked her head to indicate that he could come in. He still had a smile present on his face. Jin slid the door close behind him and walked to the back of the room to set his things down. It never surprised him how little he had but Xiaoyu was mortified the first time she'd seen it.
"Xiaoyu." She ignored him and continued fixing the bed as it was already growing late.
"Xiaoyu. Are you okay?" Even though her eyes were covered by her bangs, he had the feeling that she was looking at him from beneath her bangs.
"Don't worry about it!" She suddenly snapped. Jin raised an eyebrow.
"Why shouldn't I? Friends worry about each other." Xiaoyu flushed clearly embarrassed.
"It's nothing really." Jin sighed and slowly approached her.
"I know it's not nothing. Come on, you can trust me."
"It's… it's just that everyone still treats me like I'm a kid. I never knew… was I really so obsessive about Dave? Is it so unbelievable that I can stop loving that stupid baka? Can't I just… just be me for once?" Jin smiled.
"It had been a few years hasn't it? I know I've changed a lot since I last saw Steve-san. Maybe they just need to get used to you." She sighed.
"You're right again. As usual." He grinned even wider.
"You're not a kid. That's what you call a young goat. You're a… a… weasel." Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow trying to look intimidating even as she laughed.
"You know, I could clobber you for that one. But I won't." He let out a breath that he was holding, relieved that he wouldn't be getting another beating from Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu just laughed at him.
"All better now?"
"Yeah. Sure. Let's eat. I'm starved."
.:o:.
"Hey Chris, did you get the cooking done?" Chris looked around and smiled sweetly at Steve.
"Yes I just did." She politely ignored the choking sounds from Timmy and Hwoarang, who happened to have 'dropped by' in the nick of time for dinner.
Steve didn't say anything either but the raised eyebrow he gave them left no room for imagination. They ate or Chris beat them into submission and then they ate. It was as simple as that.
"Umm… Chris? I'm sorry about that incident a while ago. I was feeling a bit out of sorts." The silence was broken by Xiaoyu's voice as she walked in with Jin close behind her, smiling as always.
"Hey! Watch out!" Hwoarang suddenly yelled. He tackled the Chinese, or tried to. She rolled her eyes and stepped out of the way. The copper-haired lad ran headlong into a wall and groaned. He stood back up and pulled Xiaoyu behind him.
"Stay back Xiaoyu. This guy, he's dangerous. I'll take care of this." Jin blinked and smiled. Hwoarang's stance didn't relax in the least.
"Drop it Hwoarang. As you came by so unexpectedly, I was unable to introduce you to our guests."
"What do you mean Chris? Our guests? Guests? As in TWO?" Hwoarang looked at Chris with astonishment present in his face. She didn't just say that he's their guests now did she?
"Yes two you idiot! Now stop antagonizing them!" Jin held up both his hands.
"I have no intention of harming you Hwoarang-san." His smiled twitched a bit as he sat down calmly at the table. No one noticed this though as Xiaoyu was busy pounding Hwoarang.
Tension was obviously present in the table. While Hwoarang was eating he kept shooting glares in Jin's way. When Hwoarang spoke to him, it was out of nowhere.
"So, what's with this polite bullshit? What the hell are you scheming now?" Chris immediately shot him a 'drop-it' look. Hwoarang ignored it.
"I'm not scheming anything. My politeness is sincere Hwoarang-san. I've reformed. I'm not like before. True I've done… things before, but I'm repenting for it now by being good and helping others the best I can."
"You are young and naïve. You think that just because you've had a change of heart, you're free of the guilt you past sins have cause you."
"I never thought of myself as free of guilt-"
"Then how do you explain that huge smile on your face?" Hwoarang's face showed hints of disgust. Chris, Timmy and Xiaoyu were all glaring at him. But they couldn't say anything. They couldn't help Jin. Xiaoyu felt helpless. Hwoarang continued with his assault.
"You obviously think that you can just put your past behind you. You can't do that. You can't put your past behind you." Jin could feel himself weaken at Hwoarang's words.
"I have not put my past behind me yet, however, I want to make up for it."
"Make up for it?" Hwoarang repeated, his air doing the mocking.
"Do you think that doing all these 'good deeds' now can rationalize all the weak you've unsympathetically hurt before?"
"… I don't know. But, I'm doing the best that I can for now. By living my life helping others, protecting others, my life could still serve some purpose."
Hwoarang turned to him, now his glare was blatantly fierce. His scowl displayed the anger that he held for Jin.
"You are a fool. You cannot change and redo everything you've done before… how are you supposed to give retribution? What are you supposed to do!"
Hesitantly, Jin gently spoke,
"That is why I am wandering."
"You think your wandering can make your wrongs right. Your journey is worthless." Hwoarang spat out.
"It doesn't make anything right, nothing can make what I did right." Jin said, struggling to keep his smile.
"But that doesn't mean I can't try to get my life straight. I'm strong. I can help and protect people. I've been given this skill and that's what I should do with it."
Looking more unaffected and more indifferent, Hwoarang stood up and turned away.
"It's meaningless. That can't fix the damage that you've caused to so many. You've heard people before and nothing you do now would change it or make it better." With that he left the apartment slamming the door after him.
The table was silent. Xiaoyu was first to move but before she could say something to Jin, he quickly stood up.
"I… am feeling a bit tired tonight. Will you excuse me Steve-san and Chris-san?" His smile was back in place but it was faint, as if the slightest strain would break it.
"He-Hey! Jinny-chan!" Xiaoyu made to protest but Chris nodded after a few seconds of hesitating.
"We're almost done with dinner anyway…" she said to herself. Jin just nodded and was gone. Xiaoyu bit her lip and ran after him without excusing herself. Chris shrugged it off, knowing again, that it was just how the Chinese was.
"That Hwoarang. He always brings trouble. At his age you'd think he'd know better." Chris shook her head. Dinner had been ruined, all thanks to Hwoarang. She held no spite for him though.
"Shall I help you clean up Chris?" Chris looked up and a trace of a smile appeared on her face despite the circumstances.
"Thank you Steve. That would be nice."
.:o:.
"Jin? You in here?" Xiaoyu opened the door to their room tentatively. There was no answer. She sighed and closed it again, moving out of the door to the dojo. She saw him perched on a step, his hand on his chin staring up into the starry sky.
"Jin, are you okay?" She asked in a tone so soft it almost didn't belong to her. She glanced up at him. She could barely make out the upturned corners of his mouth that meant he was smiling.
"Of course. I'm always okay. What is there to feel bad about? I'm alive aren't I… aren't I?" Her face fell.
"I'm sorry I made you come Jin." She said softly. Jin shook his head.
"I could have refused. It's okay. Besides, we were near here and you wanted to see your friends." Xiaoyu's mouth tightened.
"Idiot! You're my friend too. Hwoarang needs to keep his big mouth shut if he wants to keep being my friend. I know that you two were… rivals back then so it's sort of a shock having him show up now with me. But he didn't have to act like you were going to hurt everyone once he turned his back!" Her face flushed with anger. Jin chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Wasn't there a time not so long ago when I would have?" Xiaoyu huffed and sat heavily down beside him.
"You're being hard on yourself Jinny-chan and you know it. There was no excuse for what he did." Jin turned his head to look at her.
"Do you think what he said is true?" The question took her by surprise. What did he think of what the two had just exchanged?
"I don't know enough to say anything about it Jinny-chan. But I think you're doing the right thing. You're repenting right now and sure it wont bring back what was lost back then however, it's better than living the way you did back then. Now you have direction. You've straightened your life."
"Have I? I don't know what I would or wouldn't do. I don't know who I am anymore." She went closer to him and held his hand.
"I know who you are. You are a guy who's going to get wet if you stay out here any longer. Look." She pointed to the sky, where dark clouds began to gather. He sighed but made no move to get up. The first drop of water landed on his hand as a peal of thunder went through the sky. Jin didn't even look up as it began to pour.
A strike of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating everything. Had she seen tears on his face, or was it just the rain?
"Jin." He didn't look up.
"Jin. Would you hurt Steve, Chris, Timmy or I right now if you had a chance?"
"Of course not."
"That proves it then, doesn't it?" Jin stubbornly shook his head.
"No. I have no cause to. I really don't. The problem is, if I did have a cause, if someone paid me to, would I?" She grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You wouldn't." She said firmly.
"You wouldn't, would you?" She asked it with a certainty of the answer. He pondered it for a moment and his face changed.
"You're right." He told her wonderingly.
"You're right. I wouldn't." Xiaoyu hugged him.
"It's okay. Even if the whole world thought you would, I wouldn't. I never will. You're my best friend Jinny-chan."
"You're mine too Xiao. The very best I've ever had." The stayed like that for a long time before the wetness registered.
"Jinny-chan, you're wet, I'm wet and we're both tired. How about I warm up a bath and we go to bed?" He smiled and nodded.
"That sounds good to me."
Tsuzukeru…..:o:.:o:.:o:.:o:.:o:.:o:..
Authors Nonsense: Well, that was certainly a loaded chapter ne? I'm sorry it took me a while to get this out. I just waited for school to be completely over before I started writing again. Now that I've got months of bumming around ahead of me, I'm sure to get chapters done faster. I'll try updating faster.
Much love to everyone who read and reviewed. Thank you to TheWishOfNight, Shadowsin, Almost Funny, skipster-chic, boogy, stelly, mi-chan and potty. You guys make my day all the time. I always turn into a complete dork when I read your reviews. It always makes me so happy that I just jump around crazily. You guys rock! Thanks for the support. :D
Ad: I have a new Xiaoyin one shot out! I've been dying to make a new one and an idea finally struck me. Please do check it out. It's called 'Too Late'. I would really appreciate it if you checked it out and reviewed it too. Thank you! Thank you!
TooLate: I'll always remember that day like it was just yesterday. 'Do you love me?' she asked. 'I love you' I answered. But it was six months late and she was no longer asking…
:bows:
:czee: