A/N: This chapter was revised…please consider…

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Shattered Soul

By: Elie

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Play day was finally on the rise. Xiaoyu and the rest of the crew had fitted already into their elegantly sewed Renaissance inspired Russian costumes.

The whole cast, as all would say, was perfect, well, except for the ever so I-don't-really-care type of girl, Xiaoyu.

She got the role which every senior girl in Mishima High aspired to have. It didn't really matter, though. Really - It didn't.

Not when Hwoarang happened to be her leading man. Thanks to the audition.

Wait, Hwoarang have had an audition…right? Well, she wasn't sure of that either. And why did she even tackle the audition in the first place…right?

This may not be a beauty pageant as it seemed, but, Hwoarang actually garnered the role for his good looks.

Thanks to Jin Kazama's hey-I-won't-be-back-'till-Christmas excuse. If Jin was present, then he'd be Prince Albrecht.

Xiao would be very happy of that and she'd no longer have to complain. And yes, she had been complaining…a lot.

Throwing her script inside the trash bin after school, she grinned at this and brushed her hip in a mocking way at its direction.

She didn't need the script anyway. After days of memorizing, she could already pray her lines.

Hell, she wondered how Hwoarang would do at the big day tomorrow with all those bloopers during their practices.

He was probably cramming by now. Hours from now, it was going to be the big day.

But an elegant suddenly evaded her mind - Would Jin show up to watch their play tomorrow -her play?

She was Giselle after all…and it would be her biggest day.

However…she wasn't happy. In other words, even when Miharu was around, she felt lonely. And, to admittance, she needed Jin so badly.

She couldn't help but count the lonely nights she had spent at the tiger dojo, crushing her fists onto Jin's sand filled punching sack.

"Hwoarang -" she jerked slightly at the guy that suddenly appeared in her front.

Hwoarang was wearing his buttons open, revealing a delicious looking chest, but not as broad as Jin's though. He was quite leaner than Jin anyway, although sometimes you might mistake them as brothers.

What does he want now? She thought, curious.

"Here, you might want these…" He handed her two sticks of cigarettes, and his other hand offered a lighter.

Damn, he was looking a little bit…stoned.

"What do you think of me? I'm not a fucking smoker like you." She muttered, brushing away his hand.

She wanted to get away from him, but he was too persistent to talk to her.

"Why are you mad at me?" He breathed, grabbing her hand, "Don't you remember me from the alley or something?"

Shuffling, she shot him a raged gaze. She was dying to go home already.

"No, I'm not! Now let go of my hand!" she demanded.

He sighed, unconsciously dropping the cigarettes on the ground as he released her.

Stroking his auburn strands, he watched her storm away from his sight. And just eventually, an utterly lovely brunette approached him.

Julia Chang found Hwoarang at last. She have had been circling the whole campus in finding him just to practice.

At least her lines were smooth. By the way, she was going to play Bathilde, the -ahem, main villain.

Indeed, what a coincidence…

She planted a polite kiss onto his lips, which of course made him delighted, and then gazed up the skies.

"Okay, I'm not mad at you at all...it's just that…" She stared at his eyes, somehow expecting some unreasonable reaction coming from him. "Jin is—"

Jin is going to watch the play tomorrow!

So she wanted to say those words but in contrast to Hwoarang, all she was able to say was the opposite.

"Jin is arriving home tomorrow but I think he isn't going to make it to watch us…"

"Too bad," Hwoarang said unenthusiastically, unable to hide hint of glitters in his eyes.

He absolutely didn't want Jin to be around tomorrow at the play festival. Or in his dreams, he didn't want Jin to exist at all.

Ignoring a few students passing by, Julia pulled Hwoarang to her, generously placing his sleek hands around her waist.

Hwoarang couldn't behave much but grin, glancing at the students who walked passed them.

"Like we care about him…" she murmured as she allowed his lips to press on hers…But secretly, she still cared for Jin…a lot.

Sitting outside on the dojo house's extended tatami mat, Xiaoyu began to cross her legs and watch the scenery before her.

Nothing special she'd say. But to Jin, it was more like paradise…something he'd mention about his mother.

She didn't really pay much attention to what Jin had told her about his personal life and stuff; of which he still had managed to share, though.

What was it with a couple of bonsai trees and an artificial pond with big fresh carp fishes swimming in it so special?

Hell, yeah. It's so lonely without Jin. She just realized that to now…no, since he had left weeks ago.

She couldn't even bear to count her dreary nights with lack of Jin-ess.

Save your tears coz I'll come back…

She repeated the words Jin had told her over and over again in her fleeting mind. When was he coming back anyway - at exactly Christmas time or something?

She certainly hoped not…

Exhausted from her brief but stern training, she fell on the mat effortlessly.

She placed a pale, slender hand over her forehead, wiping sweat in the process.

Her eyes suddenly snapped. Is Julia a two-timer?

She jolted up and started to rethink the thought.

That time in the locker area with Jin…still is having a relationship with Hwoarang…could she still be possibly in love with Jin?'

Now, why Julia was so mad at her made sense - she still loved Jin.

But, Jin turned her down because she had sex with Hwoarang, and that was so unfaithful…but then, Hwoarang thought Julia loved him more because she chose to continue their affair and break up with Jin and even transfer school.

But, when she came back to Tokyo before him, she tried to flirt with Jin again. And when he came back too, she gleefully ditched Jin and embraced Hwoarang, again. Ugh.

It was too confusing!

Xiaoyu shook her head in dismay. She was beginning to realize that she was in a battlefield of sex, love, jealousy, and betrayal.

Before, all she wanted to do here was to enter some tournament, win, get the money, then build her dream video game arcade, not to fool around and get raped by a handsome, popular, rich kid who happened to have a terrible past, psycho ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend.

Worst of all, she had now fallen in love with him, and completely forgot her goal to win the tournament and build her arcade.

What was her new goal anyway? Deliver babies every year at a hospital? That was if sex was on her and Jin's mind everyday.

But no, they were too smart for just that. She had a new goal…maybe it was just that she hadn't discovered it…yet.

The play…tomorrow…8:30 am…sharp. The directress, Hitori Eumatsu, Taka's nerdy twin sister's voice echoed inside her ears.

She kept remembering the exact things she had said after their rehearsal just recently this afternoon.

But of course it was still weird for her to memorize it all over in her head, for after all, she was the I-don't-care-less type of person who didn't really mind getting late in anything.

Besides, she'd be arriving at the usual: 7:30 am.

Out of boredom, and out of the blue, she began to tune out a very familiar song.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Good tidings we bring—

Even she herself was surprised. But she was too happy to wonder, and instead, she smiled. Christmas was coming…real soon.

Pulling the covers up to her bare shoulders, Julia hissed at Hwoarang, "Will you get the fucking doorbell?"

Hwoarang shrugged and growled at the same time. He got up from bed, butt naked, and pretended to go out of his room to open the door without anything on. Ah, teaser this guy was…

Julia giggled, throwing his blue boxers right at his face.

"You asshole! Are you serious you want the mailman seeing that?" she yelled.

"Maybe," Hwoarang teased, vex, "maybe it's a mailwoman."

Julia smirked, loving his taunting style. She watched him leave the room with his boxers on—in her demand.

Lying peacefully on her back, she really felt naked, but good. Naked, but good - no, naked, but great.

Scratching his smooth auburn strands, Hwoarang yawned and stretched his arms up his head in front of the door.

The doorbell was ringing like a siren. He didn't really care if he only had his underwear on. He was used to this, like, everyday in his entire deliver-me-some-pizza life.

He unlocked the door and yanked it open. There was someone unfamiliar standing outside. It was a girl. And yes, it made him blush.

"Hey pal, do you think you're the only one who lives in this building? Are you the only one who owns a condominium? Listen man, if you're up to no good…will you just KEEP IT DOWN!" The girl blurted irritatingly, her hands on her hips.

She was wearing a sleeveless pink silk top and matching pink silk shorts. So yeah, she reminded him of Xiaoyu.

"Uh…" Hwoarang stammered. He never imagined that he and Julia were that loud.

"Sorry dude," He said, thankful that he was hiding half of his body behind the door but completely letting the girl see half of his nakedness.

He let out a hand though. "I'm Hwoarang by the way. And you, man?"

The girl stared at him as if she didn't really care whether she was in front of a beautiful nude redhead guy.

She glanced at his hand and ignored it. Was this guy even listening to her?

She tucked her short raven hair behind her ears and began to walk away coolly. She craned her neck to see him, saying, "Asuka Kazama."

She paused for a moment and turned her head back again. "I'm on a vacation and I just came here from a long trip. I'm sleeping and you and whomever you're with are so noisy that I feel like bringing your room to fire."

Hwoarang's eyes widened. She mentioned her last name was Kazama.

For the last minute before Asuka could open her room, he rushed outside to call her - only in boxers.

"Icky…" She said in disgust. "I guess you're still not done yet."

"Do you know Jin Kazama?" He asked urgently. As if he cared if he was stared at. Well, that made everyone a pervert then.

Asuka nervously turned to him –again. But, she remained calmed yet annoyed.

"He's my cousin…and why are you asking me?"

"Nah…" Hwoarang mumbled. "…just a guy at my school." He turned and went back to the door. "See ya." Then he slammed it shut.

Asuka stared at his door in disbelief. What guts he has to talk with me only in his brief on! Like he even cared if Jin Kazama was her cousin, but she smiled at this.

"But oh really? What a coincidence…"

Hwoarang returned to his room with a grin in his face. Jin's cousin was pretty cute. But right now, Julia must've been pissed at him for taking so long.

He wasn't able to make it. Julia was already at the kitchen counter, staring at him.

"Hey babe," Hwoarang greeted while heading to his room, "I've seen you dressed huh."

"Hi. I've seen you haven't." Julia retorted.

She was wearing her favorite green sweater with big capital letters saying MAGNET and her usual denim short shorts.

"Hwoarang," she called out to him before he can grab a hand on the doorknob. "I'm going now. My mother's gonna call me this afternoon at home."

"Sure." Hwoarang replied, watching her leave.

As soon as she was gone, he turned to his script on the coffee table. He was glad that he was able to memorize and internalize the Prince Albrecht role.

Tonight, for once, he was going to stop going just to practice one last time.

Asuka had just gotten a call from her cousin, Jin. He told her he was going back to Tokyo at exactly tomorrow.

Fortunately, she didn't bring up the topic about Hwoarang. She pitied the guy and it was too shameful…

She laid her head back onto the soft fluffy pillow once again. Her sleep was so nice but the noise of giggling coming from the other side made her awake.

So, she had to do what she was supposed to do: Shut them up.

However, it wasn't a good idea…at all. Tumbling in front of a handsome naked man still busy doing his business was very stupid.

But, she had to go on with the flow. She had to act so irritated and angry, but, what inside her was making her insane.

Actually, she felt nervous and scared. It was her first time disturbing other people who were…uh…too occupied.

Thankfully, the guy didn't yell at her or anything. He seemed nice too, only a bit perverted. Oh, his nerve of flaunting his brief off!

Asuka snickered at the thought. She lied. She wasn't here in Tokyo for a vacation.

She was going to study here at Jin's school. And she was so sure that she'd be seeing more of that Hwoarang - real soon.

Xiaoyu collapsed on her bed after her hard training. She had managed to take a long soothing hot bath and even pamper herself.

Clearly, because she blew 500 punches onto Jin's sandbag, sending it to burst afterwards. Well, how could she manage to explain?

Her answering machine was beeping nonstop, but she couldn't hear. She was fast asleep wearing her cream, silk nightgown.

Her room was fresh from the winter's breeze that it really helped keep her cool and cozy at the same time. Nothing could disturb her right now…nothing.

PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP

"Xiao, this is me…Hey, I've missed you… Sorry for not calling you by the way. Grandpa's business transacts were hip and I was dragged in to help him. Anyway, tomorrow I'll be home though, and I'm going to watch you're play. Don't be mad at me Xiao, I'll be back home…I love you."

- Even Jin Kazama's message.

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A/N: Please review guys…hope you liked Asuka!