IMPORTANT NOTE: I do not own anything
CHAPTER 2
"Come in, Alisa." Said Ling Xiaoyu as she unlocked hers and Asuka's dormitory. Truth was that the girl was quite anxious, if Alisa was going to like the room. On the other hand, Asuka didn't give a damn. As she entered the room, she threw her bag and hat on the couch and made her way quickly into the bathroom. Well, she was holding it for about an hour now…
Alisa bowed slightly in front of Xiaoyu, who just squeezed her friend's shoulder. She looked around her and saw a small kitchen, a dining table with four chairs. The living room with two couches and an armchair. They seemed comfortable, she commented in her data. She should sit on one of them, when she'll find the chance. Asuka had informed Xiaoyu that "she wanted like dead to use the toilet", so she assumed that the white door, the short brunette girl opened, was that of the bathroom. Her eyes noticed the differences in the decoration and her best friend realized it…
"Weird, huh?" she said and giggled…
"What do you mean?" asked Alisa as she watched her friend locking the dormitory's door. Xiaoyu having an awkward grin on her face showed her the different taste she and Asuka had concerning the decoration. Three years ago, when they found out that they were going to be roommates, the Chinese girl insisted on finding a solution about that but Asuka dismissed the subject by saying that each one of them would decorate their space inside the room as they wished. Back then, that they weren't friends Xiaoyu decided to let it be, since she wanted to maintain a friendly relationship between her and her roommate. She hated awkward situations. Well, in the end, they managed to become very good friends. Especially, Asuka felt this way since she was a girl, who was more difficult in making honest relationships with women. It was true that Xiaoyu was way more sociable than her and with that she meant the part of the small talk between people. Xiaoyu was able to hide in a way her true feelings but Asuka was way too hot headed to have a normal conversation with someone she disliked…
"Don't you see? It's completely obvious, I mean, that Asuka and I have way too different tastes. Well, except the fact that we both like stuffed animals."
Alisa gave her a brief nod. She brought her hands to her chest and said to her… "Xiao-onesan, can I take a look around?"
The girl nodded… "Look as much as you want. Asuka doesn't mind."… "Except if you go to the bathroom." Xiaoyu added jokingly…
The pink haired girl giggled at her friend and thanked her. She saw Xiaoyu smiling at her and then, as she made her way to the kitchen. Alisa went first to the area, where Asuka's things were. She saw a laptop, which was on standby. The screen was big and at first sight someone would say that it was actually a television. There were a lot of magazines with the content of technology and photography, as Alisa noticed when she scanned them. Her eyes were brought to her bed. Two pillows and a lot of stuffed animals. Xiaoyu mentioned before that the only common thing, they had when it was coming to decoration, was that. She turned her head and walked to Xiaoyu's space of the room. The place was so like Xiao-onesan, thought Alisa and smiled. The desk had a laptop as well but not as big as Asuka's. There was a full length mirror and a counter, where she had her cosmetics and jewelry. She noticed different pictures of her with her family and some friends, of course, her pet Panda and then two with her and Asuka. A bright smile appeared on Alisa's face, when she saw the background of Xiaoyu's laptop. There was a picture with the two of them. It was the time, when Xiaoyu took her to an amusement park for the first time. A warm feeling was created inside her heart…
…
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening was heard. Alisa turned her head and watched Asuka Kazama walking outside the bathroom. She didn't bother closing it behind and that made Xiaoyu sigh…
"Seriously, now…How many times am I supposed to tell you to close the door?"
Asuka gritted her teeth irritated but decided to not say anything. She made some steps back and closed the door… "Happy, now?" she added…
Xiaoyu ignored her and continued what she was doing. Asuka turned her head to see Alisa standing awkwardly close to where Xiaoyu's bed was. She approached her and touched her shoulder… "Yo!"
Alisa bowed in respect and Asuka rolled her eyes in the inside… "You know, I'm not worthy of that much of respect, ok? You're way too formal. Relax a little."
Xiaoyu smiled and nodded to Alisa, who looked to her direction asking for her approval. She watched Asuka making her way to the living room and saw her relaxing herself at the two seated light pink couch. She patted the other place next to her, motioning for Alisa to sit beside her. The girl nodded and made her way there. Asuka turned her head to her direction and asked her… "You comfortable?"
"Yes!"
"Not me, though." Said Asuka again. She placed her left leg on the coffee table in front of her and her right one on the couch's arm letting in fall. For a moment, Xiaoyu turned her head to see them and witnessed Asuka sitting on a very "ladylike" position on the couch. She didn't find it weird or strange. It was something you'd expect from Asuka Kazama. On the other hand, she saw Alisa sitting next to her with her legs closed in a tensed way and her hands on her lap…
"Alisa?" she called and made her look at her direction…
"Xiao-onesan?"
Xiaoyu dried her hands with a towel and said… "Why don't you relax a little? Look at how Asuka is sitting. I mean you don't have to sit like her but…you need to relax, ok? We're going to stay together for some time."
Asuka touched her shoulder and agreed by nodding her head. Alisa gave a nod to both of them… "I'll do my best."
"We asked you to relax, not to do anything." Said Asuka and took the remote control in her hands…
She turned on the TV. She went through some channels until she noticed the credits of her favorite anime show… "Damn!"
"What happened?" asked Xiaoyu concerned as she, almost, finished cooking Asuka's favorite food…
"It finished…" said Asuka and a sad frown appeared on her face… "It's all your fault!"
"My fault?! You stayed in the bathroom for about thirty minutes."
"What does this have to do with my problem?"
Xiaoyu sighed and added some more flavorings… "Of course it does! If you didn't order all these things, you wouldn't have this kind of problem. You have said it yourself that you don't do well with caffeine."
"And what do you want me to do? I love coffee!" Asuka answered back and crossed her arms…
"Just don't overdo it."
The Japanese girl dropped the subject and started looking through channels again, even asking Alisa for some advice…
Xiaoyu turned off the fire and removed the wok with Asuka's favorite, kung pao chicken, from it. It smelled so damned good. Asuka was going to bow and kneel in front of her. She placed it on the counter and took out three porcelain plates to serve the food…
Asuka Kazama was clicking her tongue on every channel they were changing. As she was ready to do it once again, since she noticed that the channel was saying the news, she noticed the headline and the content of it. Her eyes widened and turned on the volume…
The reported started saying…
Jin Kazama, the heir of the powerful Mishima Zaibatsu, returned this morning, after three years to his homeland and base from South Africa, to take over the company and start his duties as the CEO of the Mishima Group…
"So, this lame excuse of a man has the impudence to come back and play it all high and mighty. He better go and hung himself. Poor aunt Jun…That's all I have to say." Said Asuka shaking her head in annoyance…
"You know him, Asuka-san?"
The brunette raised an eyebrow and looked away from her… "Unfortunately…I do…He's…my…my cousin."
"I see." She said and turned her attention to the TV…
"I, so really, hate myself for that." She added and before she was ready to change the channel again, they heard a loud thud coming from behind them and something like glass breaking…
They were both startled and as they turned their heads behind, they saw Xiaoyu kneeling down holding her left hand, which was burnt. The two of the porcelain plates were broken and the food was spilled on the carpeted orange floor. The two girls rushed to her side. They ignored the spilled food and Alisa noticing what happened took Xiaoyu immediately by the hand and led her to the bathroom. She opened the faucet and let the cold water fall on Xiaoyu's burnt hand. Her eyes were watered by tears, the other two girls assumed that it was because of her injury but why didn't she even react to the pain?
"Alisa?! What should we do? I'm completely useless, when it comes to this kind of thing."
Alisa watched Xiaoyu's face, which had a completely strange expression. It was like she wasn't in pain or that it was the last thing she cared about now. She turned her head to see a concerned Asuka Kazama… "Is there a pharmacy near here?"
She nodded…
"Good! I'd like you to buy some unguent for burns and, I believe, we may need some bandages."
"Umm…On it!" she said and taking her bag made her way outside the dorm…
…
Ling Xiaoyu realized back then that the news was concerning Jin Kazama. She decided to not pay any attention but…but…It was so tempting to see him after three years. How did he change? Or did he change in the first place? She swallowed hard and as the time to serve the chicken arrived, she made her way to the table with just staring at the meal she cooked just for her good friend Asuka Kazama. The brunette didn't know that Xiaoyu was acquainted with her cousin and she wasn't going to tell her, anyway. Maybe, it would be just pointless, since even Asuka, his own relative, considered him a lost cause…
But she couldn't control herself…
Her gaze fell on the TV, which the Japanese girl brought with her from Osaka. She watched him being photographed while getting outside the limousine and walking inside the Mishima Zaibatsu's Headquarters. He changed…He got muscular and somehow taller. His face's angles became more visible than how they were back then. But these were just the changes of adultness. What mattered to her was the unfamiliarity his eyes emitted. In the past, she would notice warmth and kindness in Jin Kazama's eyes…but now…These brown eyes were replaced by an intense frown above them and cold, dry brown colored iris…Who was this stranger with Jin's face?
"Xiao-onesan?"
Alisa's voice woke up Xiaoyu from her thoughts. The shock, which was created inside her by seeing him like that, caused her a cold chill all through her spine and froze her hands. Xiaoyu turned to face her friend and smiled at her concerned eyes…
"I'm feeling a lot better, Alisa. I believe we can close the faucet."
The other girl shook her head… "No, we can't! Until Asuka-san brings the things we need to take care of your injury."
Xiaoyu didn't say anything else but gave her a nod. Alisa looked her upside down… "Why did that happened, Xiao-onesan?"
"Uh…the plates…they just…slipped from my hands."
"Is that so? Really? If something worries you, you will tell me, right?"
With her other hand, Xiaoyu caressed Alisa's face. She gave her a weak smile and nodded… "When I'll have something I want to share…You will be the first to know."
…
As she was walking the stairs to the exit of the dormitories' building, Asuka Kazama was thinking about where was the closest pharmacy. She nodded when she remembered where it was the one closer. She opened the double door of the exit and ran outside. She started running at the sidewalk and she took the corner on her left to see the building she was searching. She ran faster than before until she bumped onto a person. She fell on her butt when the only thing that happened to the other person was for the paper bag he was holding to fall on the ground. Asuka heard him mumbling something in a different language. She recognized that he spoke Korean. She watched his tall figure. He was muscular in a normal way. A little more than fit, in other words. He had long auburn hair with some of his hair wrapped in a mid-high ponytail and the rest falling down covering his nape. His face remained a mystery to her but she took notice of his long legs…
"Watch where you step next time, brat." He said angrily to her, however without losing his composure…
Asuka ignored what he said and after standing up, she took her bag from the ground and made her way to the pharmacy. He turned his head to see where she was running to. Thinking that it was none of his busyness he turned his head back to where he was looking first and kneeled on the ground to gather the staff he dropped because of that stupid girl. He placed everything inside the paper bag and before he was ready to leave, he heard his cellphone. He took it outside his black suit's jacket pocket and answered the call, after looking at the caller…
"Yes, ma'am! I made preparations...I see…I'll come and take you at 11AM, then…Right…I'll make sure they have it ready for you tomorrow. Have a nice rest. Goodbye!"
The man let out a sigh and continued his way to find his motorcycle…
Entry 3: How is possible for a person to change in such a scary way?
Thanks for reading!
NOTE: As I finished this chapter, I decided to give Hwoarang a double personality. Not anything excessive…What am I saying? Of course it is. Can you imagine a polite, composed Hwoarang? I know, definitely NOT! But that's the way he's gonna be in his professional mode. While working with Lili, I mean.