Disclaimer: Me no own Tekken.
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The sixth official King of Iron Fist Tournament had ended months ago.
Miharu Hirano sat on a bench overlooking the glittering water by her lake view house. She loved the calm exterior of the water. How it changed colors and sparkles during sunrises and sunsets. It made her feel peaceful, like all her troubles and burdens are swept away by the magnificent view.
The twenty-five-year-old woman pondered about her last match against Hwoarang Doo San, whom she could not beat. His moves were fast but at the same time powerful. She knew he trained his butt off to win against his rival Jin Kazama, who's just as strong. Miharu also knew that she gave her best. The redhead apologized for her loss and even treated her lunch. It was a pleasant bond between the two friends. They chatted happily, talked about various things, and shared jokes. She thanked him for his thoughtfulness and wished him luck on his remaining matches.
"You better come and cheer for me, little sister!"
The last two words caught her by surprise. Well, it wasn't that big of a shock since Miharu, too, thought of Hwoarang as a protective brother. She cared about him and he cared about her. She even sensed his hesitation during their combat. But he knew as well as her that they have promised each other to battle like two proud fighters, and not let their friendship get in the way too much.
"I sure will big brother!" Miharu recalled his smile when he heard her words. His face showed earnestness and truthfulness and she couldn't help but feel at ease inside.
When Hwoarang's next match came she was one of the earliest ones to arrive. She was anxious and hoped he would win. Then there he was, clad in his Tae-Kwan-Do uniform with the Korean emblem on his back. Julia sat next to Miharu to cheer for her boyfriend. The Native American woman had met Hwoarang since the third Iron Fist and had a secret crush on him for quite some time. Given that both Julia and Hwoarang are Miharu's friends they each came to her for counseling, sharing their secrets with her because they have a deep conviction in the Japanese woman. Miharu giggled remembering how the two of them owned up all their inner feeling for their crush and asked her how she felt about their beliefs. She also played the 'messenger' between Hwoarang and Julia. They would ask her how their respective crush thought of his or her looks. Sometimes they would also ask if their crush would bring up anything about one another when one of them was with Miharu.
For instance, Julia would ask: "Miharu, do you know if Hwoarang likes me with my glasses on or not?"
Or, after Miharu and Julia spent hours shopping at the mall, Hwoarang would call Miharu when she returned home asking: "Hey, Mi. You seen Julia today right? Has she made any comments about me?"
This went on for weeks until Miharu couldn't take it any longer and asked Xiaoyu and Jin to help her set the two up so they could, at last, confront each other and confess.
Thank God, for it had succeeded.
That was what happened during tournament time in Japan and it might be the last one Miharu and her close friends would ever go to. Texas was their home now.
Miharu felt the wind sweep over her face and hair. Her auburn locks shined like silk under the setting sun as she breathed in the soothing breeze. Her friends' wedding would be on Valentines Day. A month from today Hwoarang and Julia will officially become husband and wife. The memory of Julia's call telling her of Hwoarang's proposal will forever etch in her mind. The brown-haired woman was ecstatic. Her voice woke up the whole district while she made this 'phenomenal' announcement. Miharu, Xiaoyu, including Christie, got a chance to take a closer look at the gem-decorated diamond ring on Julia's right ring finger when the four friends met at a teahouse near Julia's home.
"Girl, quite a man you're marrying here!" Christie said, holding Julia's right hand in her own, gawking at the beautiful ring.
Xiaoyu scoffed. "Dang…I wish my Jinny will give me one just like it."
"He will, Xiao. You just have to be patient." Miharu patted her friend on the shoulder who's making a face while sipping her tapioca.
Christie finally gave Julia her hand back. "Yeah. That man's, like, always busy."
"Well, what'd you expect?" Julia said, stirring her decaf, "He's one of the top business managers in Houston after all."
"What about your fiancé, Jules?" Xiaoyu asked, picking up her big cup of half-finished tapioca, gulped some more down, and placed it back on the table. "Hwoarang is quite big with his industrial designing commerce too."
Julia sighed dreamily. "Yes, his job is to design motorcycles, automobiles, and bringing them to life by building all the parts together to make a masterpiece."
"Yes, I think I saw him once riding on his own 'Hwoarangmobile' to one of the Iron Fist matches." Miharu piped in. "I've never seen such an awesome bike!"
"Christie!" Xiaoyu grabbed the Brazilian's arm with a swift motion. "Tell us about Eddy!"
Christie cringed under her friend's firm grip. "Well, he's doing fine with his own work. Being a healthcare expert and fitness trainer's not easy--ack! Xiao, could you PLEASE let go of my arm?"
The Chinese woman finally acknowledged what she's doing to her friend, and let go straight away. "Oh! Chris, I'm so, so sorry!"
The other ladies tried not to cackle at Xiaoyu's peppiness.
"What about you, Mi? How's your—oh…" Julia hastily put a hand to cover her mouth. "I…I'm sorry, Mi."
To her relief, Miharu's face showed no antagonism whatsoever. "No need to apologize, Julies. Maybe my time is not as early as you guys."
"But Mi," Xiaoyu hugged her companion and with great concern in her voice, said, "Don't you feel lonely? Maybe we need to hook you up with someone."
Christie raised her hand at once. "I'll help you, Mi! I know many cute single guys from my modeling agency!"
Julia joined in. "I know some guys that you might like too!"
"See?" Xiaoyu smiled at Miharu. "We're all here to support you every step of the way!"
"Thank you guys so much. But…"
"But what?" Julia asked.
"I still think I should wait."
"Oh, c'mon girl! I can't just stand aside when you have no man to be there for you for the rest of your life!" Christie took a hold of Miharu's hand before the girl could complain and dragged her out of the teahouse. "We are starting right now, whether you like it or not!"
And so, mission 'Matchmaker' started. There were over fifteen men introduced to Miharu by the ladies. Their boyfriends (and a fiancé) helped out also. Hwoarang brought his buddies from work, Jin called forth some of his business associates, and a few chaps turned up at Miharu's doorsteps saying they're friends of Eddy.
Miharu couldn't remember who all of them were. Well, how many COULD the Japanese lady remember when a bunch of them were pouring down at her? It was truly a 'rainy men' season. To her astonishment, many were very fond of her. But above all, none of them fit her perfectly. She felt something was missing among them. The men couldn't be 'the one' for her, even though all of them treated her nicely. And for this reason Miharu felt incredibly guilty as she rejected each one as painlessly as she could.
And today, Miharu thought, wouldn't be much different. She stood from the bench and strode back to her house to prepare for her date with a man named Preston. This one was introduced by Christie. She told Miharu that he's really gorgeous and pleasant. The Brazilian woman handed Miharu a slip of paper telling her where Preston will be waiting for her and what time.
Miharu wanted to refuse Christie's offer but her friend left before she could protest. And so the Japanese woman picked out a simple dark-colored dress, diamond stud earrings, and light makeup. She observed her reflection, felt satisfied, and left her house. She got in her Civic and drove off toward her destination. Tonight she's going to reject Preston for sure. At least she thought it would be an easy task like the rest of the dates.
When she arrived at a fancy restaurant she saw him waiting at the doorway. According to Christie's description and a picture off of a magazine cover, Miharu was pretty sure that he was Preston himself. She decided to study him for a while. Well, he seemed pretty genuine and had an innocent expression plastered on his face. He had a strong jaw, good-sized nose bridge, and was well-built. Well, why wouldn't he be? He IS a model after all. Okay, he had the looks, but what about his heart? Is he truly a man who would respect a woman for who she is? Miharu started to get self conscious as she stepped up to him.
"Hi." She greeted while trying not to sound nervous.
He smiled at her and she thought he had a wonderful smile. "I'm guessing you're Ms. Hirano?"
"Oh please," She giggled. "You don't have to address me so formally. Miharu will be fine."
"Miharu it is then." He then handed her a rose. She accepted it politely and he offered his hand which she also took graciously. They walked into the restaurant and sat down at a table looking out the window looking out into the darkening city.
Throughout the date the two talked about various things. Preston spoke about his job and his hobbies. Miharu also shared some of her own stories about her life. They even laughed together. Miharu thought of Preston, before she met him, to be a guy that is forceful on women but he took things really slowly, saying that if he were to be Miharu's husband he would obey her request to wait until she is ready for sex and family.
"You are a beautiful woman and I do not wish to hurt you in any way." He said to her. "You have my word on it."
She smiled warmly towards him and placed her hand on his. "You know…you're one of a kind. I think you're very special."
The two clasped hands while they enjoyed the evening view and each other's presence. Having thought of Preston as a unique man, Miharu's mind wondered off thinking about what would happen in the future if she and Preston ended up together. It wouldn't be too bad would it? He seemed sincere but first impressions aren't always accurate. Even though she learned a bit about Preston this evening, she decided to know him even more. Besides, she couldn't ignore the warm feeling in her chest when she was with Preston can she? She will tell her friends that she will stick with this man for a while and see what kind of outcome will ensue.
"I'm glad to have met you." She heard him say. "Maybe we should do this more often."
Exactly what I was thinking, Miharu thought. "Sure…that would be great."
"How about next Friday? We could go wherever you want to go."
"Okay." She beamed.
"Well, it's getting late. We wouldn't want to be tardy for work tomorrow."
The two of them paid for their share of the dinner. He hooked his arm around hers as they walked out of the restaurant. She felt comfortable when she leaned on his arm. She had to stop doing it when they arrived at her Honda, however.
"Well, I'll see you later then?" He said.
"Yeah." Preston got startled a bit when she gasped suddenly. "Oh! I need to give you my cell phone number."
He laughed. "Oops, guess you need mine too."
After they exchanged papers Preston kissed Miharu gently on the cheek. "Sleep well tonight okay?"
She couldn't help but go red. He smiled one last time before departing to his own car. She watched him go as she placed a hand on the spot where his lips last touched.
Maybe…just maybe…Preston wouldn't be a bad choice after all.
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"I have to meet this guy." Hwoarang declared.
It was Sunday, and Miharu just told her best friends about the night out with Preston. They were sitting at a round table in a Dim Sum restaurant, proudly owned by their close associate from the Iron Fists: Marshall Law.
Jin shrugged. "He doesn't seem too bad."
"Still, you can't judge a book by its cover. Besides, as Mi's older brother, it's my duty to make sure Preston treat her with the respect she deserves."
"But you're not her real broth-" Jin started.
"Watch it man, I treat Mi as my little sister and she look up to me as an older brother. That's how it is, so live with it." Hwoarang crossed his arms making his statement final.
Christie hit the Korean's arm forcefully. "Oof!"
"Mi's a big girl! She can take care of herself!"
"Hey! Anything can happen!"
Julia leaned against Miharu's ears. "Hwoa can be so sweet when he wants to be." She whispered.
"Definitely." Miharu nodded.
"He sent me flowers yesterday." Julia said in a much quieter voice.
"Really? That's so sweet!"
"Yup! And it delivered straight to Jules' office!" Xiaoyu's loud and perky voice got the other's attention.
"You know what they're talking about?" Eddy asked.
"Something about flowers." Jin said.
"Oh, it must be about the roses I sent Jules yesterday." Hwoarang took hold of his fiancé's hand. "How'd you like them, babe?"
Julia's smile was like heaven on Earth to the Korean. "They were beautiful."
The two shared a passionate kiss.
"Get a room!" Christie yelled after a moment.
The others laughed at the pair, but felt contented for them.
Ling, for once, was quiet while watching Hwoarang and Julia. She glanced sideways at Jin, who eventually sensed her gaze and locked eyes with her. He gave her a weak smile but she could still see it. She knows he's not the type to show much emotion. But somehow he's more open to her than the others. Xiaoyu wished she could be just like her two friends. Happily engaged…with Jin.
"Xiao? You alright?" The voice of her love took her back to reality.
"Yeah." She managed a grin.
"Are you sure?" Jin asked, his voice full of concern.
He welcomed her in his strong arms with her head resting on his chest, rocking her gently.
Xiaoyu sighed. "I am now…"
"Dang…another one?" Christie said.
Hwoarang pointed at the other couple. "See? They're doing it too. You can't blame us for showing affection toward the one we love."
Christie sighed. "Just don't turn this meeting into a make-out session. We are here for Mi, to help her find a true love and you four are just making her feel bad."
"Shit!" Hwoarang immediately turned toward Miharu. "I am so sorry!"
The other three also felt guilty and followed Hwoarang saying their own apologies.
To tell the truth, that kiss of affection did affect Miharu in some way she couldn't put into words. She trusts Hwoarang and Julia. She believed they didn't smooch right in front of her on purpose. The only reason they did that was out of pure love. Nothing else.
Sometimes a woman couldn't wait to love a man, and that man returning the same amount of care, according to many females, is something very extraordinary. Her best friends all found their true companions for life...except her.
Maybe that was why she felt strange looking at Hwoarang and Julia. Maybe that was why she felt desire to be with Preston, to show others she have someone she loves too. Or is it envy?
"Mi?" Julia said, shaking Miharu's arm.
"Huh?" She looked up and noticed the others looking at her. "Oh, I was…um…just thinking about…stuff…" Well, that was lame, she thought.
"Look, we're really sorry. We should've paid attention to you." Jin said.
Miharu smiled, to her friends' relief. "It's okay."
Xiaoyu embraced her best pal. "Thanks. You're the best!"
"No problem."
The head chef walked over to their table.
"Are you all ready to order now?" Marshall asked, taking out a notepad.
"Yes, we would all like your lunch special." Eddy said.
"Okay." Marshall took out a slip of paper with the list of all the dishes with stamp boxes beside each name. "The carts will be coming around in a few minutes. They're still working on the sesame balls."
Hwoarang rubbed his hands together. "Ooo…I love sesame balls."
Miharu giggled at the Korean's silly expression. He saw that and grinned right back at her.
Law smiled. "Wonderful! You shall enjoy them after you eat your vegetables."
The redhead pouted at the mention of healthy foods. The others laughed at his stubbornness for hating greens.
"You're not my father!"
"Baek said you need to choose the right things to eat. A meal with only sesame balls is not considered a good meal!"
"It is to me!"
"Julia, would you be kind enough to watch over this punk and make sure he eats his veggies?" Law asked.
"Sure!"
Hwoarang's jaws dropped on the table as Marshall walked away. The others laughed harder.
"Sorry Hwoarang!" Jin said.
"It's for your own good!" Eddy was holding his stomach by now.
The Korean glared at the two men. He faced toward the ladies since they stopped snickering.
"So, Mi, when can I meet this Preston guy?" He asked. Eddy and Jin finally controlled themselves.
"Um…I don't know. His schedule changes every now and then. You'll have to ask Christie."
"Hmm…" Christie pondered. "I think he has Tuesday afternoon off."
"Well, that's when I'll see him." Hwoarang took out his palm pilot and wrote that in.
"Hey, why don't we all meet him?" Jin asked.
"You know what, that's not a bad idea." Eddy said.
"A quadruple date? Is that what you're implying?" Hwoarang asked.
"That'll be cool! And we all have Sunday off!" Xiaoyu said.
Hwoarang nodded. "Not bad." He erased his note and wrote a new one for next Sunday.
"What do you think, Mi?" Julia asked.
Miharu nodded and smiled. "I think it's great."
A young waiter arrived at their table with the first cart. "Hello, what can I get you?"
"Lunchtime!" Xiaoyu and Hwoarang yelled in unison. The two jumped from their seats and started picking out things from the cart. The poor lad had to keep up with their order.
"I thought you only liked sesame balls!" Xiaoyu shouted.
"I like other dim sum too!"
Once again, the table sounded with laughter.
Miharu, too caught up at the situation, did not notice the tiny static on her leg.
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Wow. That was bad. Forgive me if you all thought this is such a piece of s. I'm also sorry for not updating fast enough. I changed the plot a bit and made the story pace slower. I rushed on the first version of this chapter.
I want to thank all those who took the time to read this, especially Karisan-Karisan and Ignes Fatui.
To Karisan-Karisan: Thank you again so much. Hope this cheered you up.