CHAPTER 9

He really was a good fighter, Xiaoyu mused as she studied him pulverise the gigantic robot.

It was only the early, preliminary rounds, but the crowd was still large.

She wasn't in the front rows, reserved for the fighters and families, but with Jin, in the Mishima top box. They were watching the red haired wonder on a ridiculously large screen which magnified him and Gun Jack to twice their real size.

'He's better than I remember,' Jin said beside her, and she answered with a non-committed 'Hmmm.' She was far too distracted for proper conversation.

Jin drew his eyes away from the fight and to his friend. 'Xiaoyu –'

She didn't even notice, biting her lip as one of Gun Jack's punches hit home.

He studied her, studying the fight (studying the fighter), and he desperately wanted to ask her a question but then thought better of it and went to refill his drink.

He was back a minute later, and he just couldn't hold it back.

'Xiaoyu, do you like Hwoarang?'

She was startled out of distraction, and she turned towards her friend. Try as she might, she couldn't quell the sudden reddening of her cheeks and neck.

'What? Why do you say that? Of course not!' Her voice, even to her, sounded oddly high and strangled.

Jin looked at her, unconvinced.

She took a deep, calming breath and composed herself. 'No.' There. That sounded believable.

'Really,' he stated, wryly, and she looked away, readying herself to lie again.

He, however – having dated her briefly and knowing her better than anyone else in the world – knew exactly what she was up to.

'Don't lie to me,' he warned. 'I deserve better than that.'

She bit her lip and then, suddenly – 'I can't help it! It's not like I want to! There's – there's just something about him. I'm sorry.'

He laughed then, and gently told her she didn't have to apologise.

She looked bewildered and said she thought they were enemies, and he looked back at the screen for a few moments.

'I may be his enemy,' he replied softly. 'But he's not mine.' Xiaoyu had no answer to that and so she turned towards the fight again. The silence between them was uncomfortable, and she knew Jin desperately wanted to give her his two cents worth.

She couldn't handle it any longer.

'Well,' she said, turning towards him, 'what is it? You're dying to say something.'

He stared at her for a minute and then observed that she knew him too well

'And you're avoiding the question,' she admonished.

He grinned wryly. 'It's just – don't you think – you can do better?'

'Better?' she repeated, confused.

'He fights well, granted,' Jin explained, 'but just look at him.'

'I am,' she answered, 'as is every other female watching the fight.'

'No,' he shook his head, 'I mean, look past his looks, all right? He's a street kid. No, a street thug. He has no kind of future. And I know you're bad at maths, Xiaoyu, but after school, you're going to do something worthwhile with your life. As opposed to him with his street fights gambling and god knows what else.'

He paused and she didn't have anything to say to that, so he tried again. 'You and him – you're not matched. Don't you deserve better than a good-looking no-hoper?'

The slur to Hwoarang caused something to snap inside of her and she lost her cool.

'No-hoper? No-hoper? I may not know him, Jin,' she emphasised his name like it was some sort of insult, 'but you certainly don't either. So just – just shut up about it, okay? Forget you asked me anything, forget I admitted to anything and just – just let it go!'

She stormed away to the snack table, not really hungry but just wanting to walk away from her ex-boyfriend. Funny how whenever she got angry with him, he turned into 'ex-boyfriend', instead of 'friend'.

Jin looked at her stomping away (not really stomping – she was far too light-footed for that) and, on reflection, admitted he had been a little harsh. And he didn't want to alienate the one person in the world he could really talk to, or knew and sympathised with his problems, so he went over and apologised.

She forgave him immediately and gave him a hug and her traditional sunny smile.

They watched the rest of the fight – Hwoarang won easily – and when it finished, she mentioned she'd like to go down and congratulate him.

Jin nodded but didn't offer to accompany her so she turned around to leave.

'Xiaoyu?' he called her back.

'Yes?'

'About Hwoarang…' he trailed off and she gave him a warning glare. 'If he hurts you, I'll kick his arse.'

'And if he doesn't?' she smiled.

'Well,' he admitted, 'I'll probably kick it anyway.'

She laughed and walked down the stairs. Towards the arena. Towards Hwoarang.