Jin and I have been walking for a while now, since we both don't have to be anywhere anytime soon. Frees. That's the great thing about being in higher education. So, here we are, walking through the courtyard, sun shining down on us, and I'm pointing out various things of interest, like the canteen, and the common room. Jin's nodding and asking questions, but I've got the feeling that he's just being polite. He doesn't seem the talkative type, somehow. We finally stop next to the tennis courts, and I smile at him.
"So then, Mr. Kazama. Enough about this place. What about you?"
He looks at me through surprised eyes, and I feel like he's sizing me up for some reason, trying to figure out whether he can trust me or not. Or perhaps he's just trying to work out my measurements. Hey, Hwoarang's the guy model I've got to go on, and I know he would be.
"What do you mean?" he asks eventually.
"You know what I mean." I answer. He looks alarmed, and I smile inwardly, then give him a mischevious smirk. "How do you get your hair to stick up like that?"
He blinks, and then laughs softly. It's a nice, gentle laugh.
"Uh... gel."
"No hairspray?" I ask in mock-surprise, and he smiles.
"Sometimes I use hairspray, too,"
"Wow. Watch out. Poster boy for versatility, coming through." I say with a sly grin. That gets him to laugh again. He shakes his head, and I decide that I should make him laugh more often. Amusement looks adorable on him. Not that I noticed, of course. He leans against the fence, looking up into the sky, and it seems like he's relaxing around me. I give a satisfied grin.
"What about you?" he asks, serious again. "You told me that you mastered Hakke Ken?"
I nod, fiddling with one of my pigtails. His way of speaking is so polite.
"Yeah, my grandfather trained me." I say absently.
That reminds me. I look at him, again trying to work out why he looks so familiar, and why I feel like I should recognise the surname. It's odd, isn't it? As soon as you search for a memory in your head, it's as though it decides to retreat out of your reach, and the harder you strain to catch it, the further away it goes. Grandfather mentioned that name a long time ago, I know it. Why?
I decide to let it go for now, and stretch in the sunlight, yawning. Perhaps I should have had an early night last night, instead of sitting up talking about that suede skirt with Miharu. My bag slips from my shoulder and falls into the dust of the yard, and I pick it up, dusting it off half-heartedly and hanging it on a loose piece of wire on the fence. Sunshine makes me lazy. Jin and I have slipped into a comfortable silence, and I join him in leaning against the wire fence and contemplating the rest of the day. Well, I'm contemplating the rest of the day, anyway. Jin seems to be lost in thought, and I glance sideways at him.
His expression has taken on that look that everyone gets when they've lost themselves in memories. Wonder what he's thinking about? He looks kinda cute with that look on his face. And again, I didn't notice that.
"What?"
I realise that I've been staring at him this whole time, and I shrug, trying to seem indifferent.
"Nothing."
He doesn't seem convinced, and I force an innocent smile, hoping it'll fool him. A few seconds later, he sighs and pushes himself away from the fence, walking over to me. My expression takes on the token 'deer caught in headlights' look as he leans towards me, and for a moment, I freeze. That is until I realise that his eyes are on something over my shoulder, then as he retrieves my bag from its place on the fence and hands it to me, it clicks. Embarassment, thy name is Xiao.
"What was that look for? What did you think I was gonna do?" he asks slowly.
What did I think he was gonna do? I don't know myself. Kiss me? Give me a great big bear hug like Panda would have? Suddenly transform into Austin Powers and tell me that his big secret is that he's on an important mission and he suspects that Dr. Evil may be masquerading as my best guy friend/annoying perv friend Hwoarang? I don't know. But hey, the last one would be pretty cool. And amusing, I decide, as I picture Jin asking if he makes me horny. Although I'd have to say that Hwoarang looks more like Scott Evil than Dr. Evil. He'd just have to cut his hair a tad shorter.
Jin's looking at me as though I should come with a set of instructions, and I quickly switch to military tactic 42: stopping myself from being humiliated.
"So, over here we have the tennis and badminton courts." I say, managing to change the subject while gesturing to my right and putting on my best tour guide voice all at the same time.
"And over here we have the state of the art musical instrument facility..."
Then I start walking towards the music block, and Jin follows, the easy smile I glimpsed during our hair-products conversation slipping back on his face. Ling Xiaoyu, I hereby present you with the gold award for brilliantly executed diversionary tactics in the face of unbearable embarrassment.
So the tour of Mishima Industrial High continues. Then the inevitable happens. We run into Yumi. Honestly, I'd expected her to pop up in the manner of a malevolent presence a lot sooner. But she's here now, and flashing her multi million-dollar smile at Jin, who is looking mildly alarmed. I want to laugh at his expression, but he already thinks I'm a weirdo, I don't want to reinforce that idea.
"So then, Xiao, who's your friend?" Yumi asks, syrupy smile coming as standard. I bristle, because this is the girl who would usually sneer at me and tell her friends: "That's the freak I was telling you about earlier."
But because I have a guy with me, an extremely nice looking guy at that, here she is, smiling like the Cheshire Cat and calling my by the nickname that no one calls me besides Hwoarang and Miharu. And my mother, sometimes.
"This is Jin." I say.
"Hi there." She's grinning again. I'm starting to wonder whether the wind changed earlier and she's stuck like that. "I'm Yumi. It's nice to meet you."
She offers her hand, and Jin takes it.
"You have a firm grip, Jin." She laughs. I want to rip her hand off and scream: "Leave him alone, he's my friend, not yours! I saw him first, dammit!"
But I don't, because I'm aware that, however fun, it would be extremely childish to do so. Plus, ripping off someone's hand in front of a nice guy isn't exactly going to score you any points with him, right?
Eventually, we manage to get away from her, and walk towards the common room in silence. Jin glances at me.
"She seemed...nice" he comments and with all the sincerity of a cactus at that. I smile.
"I think she's rather taken with you."
The look of unease that crosses over his face doesn't pass by unnoticed by me, and I start to laugh this time. I can't help myself.
"What?"
"Nothing."
And then silence reigns supreme. Again. As someone who prefers actual conversation, I can tell I'm gonna have my work cut out with this one.