Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

Thanks to all the reviewers and readers.

Chapter 12 – Departure

Now that he had understood that he liked Julia more than he really should, Hwoarang didn't know what to do. Until then he had never experienced love in any kind. He had never had a family in the first place and the only love he knew sounded more like respect, towards his master.

He had grown up respecting Baek and he was quite thankful to his master for what he had done for him, but the only person he had always cared about was himself. And now all that was changing because there was someone that he was caring about more than himself. But then again, why bother to stay there until the end of the month if he knew that Julia would be forced to marry Steve and he would never see again after that?

He had started all that because he didn't want to lose against Jin and Steve, he wanted to show them that Julia would choose him. What begun as a game had turned into a one way journey and now he was trapped there. His worst nightmare had happened, he was in love.

"I should leave immediately. I can't stay here. If she finds out that I'm just a thief, she'll be really disappointed. Besides she doesn't love me, she loves Yon Kwan. And I can never be him or marry her. Lao hates me and I'm not the type of guy who wants a marriage." Hwoarang thought and he left his room. He was going to say to Eijiro that they would leave soon.

Eijiro was extremely happy when he heard the news, but he knew that Hwoarang was hesitating.

-'This Julia got you really hard, huh?'-he asked joking.

-'Shut up!'

-'Come on…you have to accept that.'

-'Maybe…'

-'What are you going to do?'

-'Nothing.'

-'You should tell her…'

-'It's complicated. Even if I tell her, we have to leave or we'll be caught. I'm not Yon Kwan…I can't marry her. This is all a lie!'

-'What you both feel isn't a lie.'

-'That doesn't count.'

-'Maybe she could come too.'

-'What?'

-'If she really loves you, she'll consider that option.'

-'She's rich…she won't leave with me. I can't give her what she deserves!'

-'Ok, forget it; just pack your things…I want to go as soon as possible.'

-'I will…we leave tomorrow morning.'

At lunch, Hwoarang was taken to a different room, where he ate alone. Like Steve had prevented him, Lao was giving him the shock treatment.

-'You like Julia, don't you?'-Steve asked after lunch, when he was alone with Hwoarang.

-'What if I do?'

-'You should tell her.'

-'Why?'

-'Because I think she loves you…'

-'How can you tell?'

-'Well…the way she looks at you and the way she speaks to you…it's obvious.'

-'I never thought she would fall for me.'

-'You didn't?'

-'No…I mean look at me…I'm…not like you or Mishima.'

-'Exactly. We're the good guys and you're the villain. Girls like bad boys.'

-'But Julia…she's so…calm and probably she wants a stable relationship.'

-'Her life is boring here. She's always studying and she always does what her parents ask her to do. She's probably sick of that, that's why she fell for you.'

-'Do you think she likes adventure?'-Hwoarang asked thinking about what Eijiro had said about Julia going with them to Korea.

-'Maybe…but I can't understand why you're hesitating…I mean your family would be happy to know that you and Julia are in love and all that. Why don't you ask Lao permission to marry her?'

-'You wouldn't understand.'

Steve didn't know that he wasn't the real Yon Kwan and that the situation was more complicated than that.

-'You could try me…I'm a good listener.'

-'It's complicated. Just forget about it. But…let me ask you something…'

-'Sure. What?'

-'Will you marry her if I leave?'

-'She doesn't love me…'

-'Her father wants her to marry you because Mishima's gone and…he hates me. This leaves you…'

-'I like her, but not that way.'

Hwoarang got up and left without a word; he spent the whole afternoon thinking about what to do.

It was almost six in the afternoon when Eijiro walked into Hwoarang's room. He was in panic.

-'He knows!'-Eijiro yelled.

-'What?'

-'Julia's father knows that you're not Yon Kwan!'

-'How?'

-'I heard him speaking on the phone with Yon's father. It seems that Yon is already in South Korea!'

-'Shit! Get the car and wait for me!'

Eijiro did what he was told and he had already opened the gate when Hwoarang arrived.

They had just passed the gate when Hwoarang ordered him to stop.

-'What?'

-'Stop the car!'

-'Why?'

-'STOP THE CAR!'

Eijiro stopped and faced his friend.

-'Please don't tell me that you want to go back…'

-'I can't leave like this. She needs to know.'

-'She's just a girl. You'll find another girlfriend back at home.'

-'She deserves to know the truth. Hide the car behind those trees and wait for me there.'

-'How long will you take?'

-'As long as it takes. Just wait there.'

When Hwoarang got to the house, he was almost caught by Lao, who had been in his room searching for him.

-'He's gone. His things are gone too…'-Lao said to Julia.-'Do you know where he is?'

-'No.'-Julia answered disappointed.

Julia and Lao went to the office and Hwoarang entered in Julia's bedroom and waited for her.

It took a half an hour for Julia to return and she wasn't alone, so Hwoarang hide in the bathroom.

-'Why do you think he left?'-Julia asked her sister. Her voice sounded sad and disappointed.

-'I don't know…but maybe this is for the best.'

-'You sound like dad. Why can't you give him a chance to prove that he's a good person?'

-'Because he's not! He's a fraud…he's pretending to be someone else.'

-'He must have his reasons.'

-'I bet he did this for money. Look, Jules…just face it…he never loved you, you were just a hobby. He wanted to have some fun and tried his luck. Fortunately you didn't give him what he wanted.'

Julia sat down on her bed and looked to the window.

-'Can you please leave me alone for a bit?'-Julia asked.

-'Sure. I'll see you at dinner.'

When Michelle left the room, Julia heard some steps and turned around. She was surprised to see him standing there but she was also happy, so she hugged him tight.

-'I can explain.'-Hwoarang said.

-'It's ok. You don't need to.'

-'Yes I do. I mean I'm not the person who everyone thinks I am.'

-'I know.'

-'Don't you want to know why?'

Julia shrugged.

-'I knew before my father…'

-'What? Since when do you know?'

-'Since I went to your room and saw your passport.'

-'Why didn't you tell anyone?'

-'I didn't want you to go. I was hoping that you would return my feelings.'

-'I want to tell you what happened.'

-'Ok…I'm listening to you.'-Julia sat down again and Hwoarang did the same.

-'I came to the States to practice and to check out my fighting skills. My master sent me and Eijiro to enter a local tournament. We didn't manage to go to the finals and we spent all our money in a casino…'

Julia gave him a reprehensive look.

-'I know that it was stupid…'-he added.-'After that we had a few problems with the police and then we met a guy who said he would give us money if we did him a favour.'

-'Was it Yon?'

-'Yes. He told us that he didn't want to get married and he needed someone to come here in his place.'

-'I see…but what's his problem?'

-'Lets just say that he's not into girls…'

-'Oh…I see.'

-'It was an easy way to have money, so I accepted. He told me to be rude so your father would send me away in three days…I didn't stick with the plan.'

-'Why not?'

-'Because I…saw you…I thought about you every day since I arrived.'

Julia blushed and smiled.

-'Good…I felt the same when I met you.'

-'I'm sorry if things got all wrong. It shouldn't have happened this way…'

-'Now it's too late to fix things.'

-'I know…we can't do anything but face the facts. We'll never be together.'

-'Why not?'

-'I can't stay here. You're father would send me to prison and since I have a criminal record…I would be in jail for a couple of years. Besides…you don't even know me!'

-'I'm willing to take that risk!'

-'No, you're not. I'm a thief…in my homeland…I'm always in troubles. Maybe you should marry Steve. I can't give you anything…'

Hwoarang walked to the door, but Julia grabbed his arm.

-'Don't go!'-she begged.-'Please!'

-'Don't make this harder for me…I wish I could stay with you…but I can't.'

-'Then stay a bit longer…I'm ready now…I love you…'