Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken.

Chapter 4 – Apology

Jin and Ling opened the gym's doors and entered with Heihachi behind them. He wasn't too pleased but he wanted to see the fight.

-'Don't be too rough.'-he warned Jin.-'She's a girl…'

-'Sure…'-Jin nodded with a smirk.

-'Miharu is right…you think you're the best!'

-'That is because I am really the best and you'll see that in a minute.'

They both took their fighting stances and the fight started. Ling was the first one to attack. With an outstanding fastness she threw Jin against the wall with only one kick on the chest.

Jin was surprised but he reacted immediately with a double punch that failed by inches. Ling blocked three kicks but she couldn't resist a spinning low kick that made her meet the ground.

She got up as fast as she could and started moving really fast in order to confuse him. The problem was that Jin wasn't easy to fool and he managed to grab her right arm. Then he put his left foot on her stomach and threw her away.

Ling hit the ground hard again.

-'You're not that bad…I have to give you some credit!'-Jin said.

They kept on fighting, and Ling started to get tired while Jin wasn't even sweating. She knew that he was probably used to long fights. If only Jinrei was there to help her. In that moment she didn't pay attention to Jin's right arm and he hit her too hard on the stomach. Ling felt a huge pain on her ribs and then she blacked out.

Jin stood there in silence holding her in his arms and for the first time since Ling had arrived a week ago, he felt that she wasn't just a kid. She was a girl, a special girl. He could see her aura and her strong personality. He was also feeling bad for hurting her.

-'What did you do? Is she ok?'-Heihachi asked.-'I don't want you two to get injured!'

-'She'll be fine…she needs rest. I guess I hit her too hard…'

-'Obviously! Let me take her…'

-'I'll do it!'-Jin said immediately.-'It's the least I can do now.'

-'Ok, take her to her room.'

Jin left always watching her. She was beautiful, he didn't understand why he hadn't notice that when she arrived. He was ashamed for having treated her so bad.

Jin put her on the bed and took her tennis shoes. Then he watched her for a while.

-'I'm sorry…'-he whispered leaving the room.

When he returned downstairs, Heihachi was leaving.

-'Take care of her! From now on stay with her…ok?'-Heihachi said.

-'Have a good journey.'-Jin announced ironicallyignoring his words.

Heihachi closed the door and smiled leaving his grandson behind.

-'Taka!'-Jin called. A woman in her thirties appeared immediately.-'Miss Xiaoyu is sleeping…when she wakes up just let me know.'

-'Yes sir!'

Jin didn't have anything else to do in the afternoon, so he practiced a little more and before dinner, he took a hot shower. He was happy that Heihachi wasn't there for a while.

After dinner, Jin went to his room and turned the TV on. He tried to figure out how to say "sorry" to Ling, but soon he felt sleepy.

It was almost midnight when Jin woke up. He heard the wind outside and understood that a storm was coming. Half an hour later he was unable to sleep and he heard a noise. Ling had left her room. She was feeling some pain because of the fight, but she was hungry, so she had decided to go downstairs.

When she arrived to the kitchen she drank a glass of milk and she took a chocolate cake from the table. She was going to eat it when a huge thunder almost made her heart stop. The noise was really scaring and the next minute all the lights went off. Ling stood in the dark and she remembered her nightmare. She felt a presence in the air and yelled the first name that came to her mind.

-'Jin!'

Jin was coming down the stairs when he heard his name. When he arrived to the kitchen he couldn't see a thing.

-'Xiaoyu? Are you here?'

Ling followed his voice and hugged him.

-'Jin? Why is it dark in here?'

-'It was probably a short fuse…are you ok?'

-'Yes…just a bit scared. I hate to be in the dark.'

-'Lets go back to our rooms.'

Ling was going to follow him when she felt a pain in her ribs and she fell down on the floor. Jin caught her in time and held her in his arms.

-'You're still hurt…I'll take you.'-he said.

Ling didn't complain and when Jin arrived to her room, he put her on her bed and left for a few minutes. He returned with two candles.

-'I don't like storms.'-Ling said.-'I'm sorry for the trouble.'

-'Don't be sorry…I don't like it either.'

-'So…you won…congratulations!'

Jin shrugged.

-'You're better than I thought…'-he confessed.

-'But I lost! Heihachi was right…I have to train very hard to catch up with you.'

-'Maybe…I'll see you tomorrow.'

-'Good Night.'

Ling lie down and watched him leaving, she remembered immediately Taka's words and she smiled. Maybe she was right, maybe Jin Kazama wasn't that bad.

23rd DECEMBER

Ling woke up a bit late; her body hadn't recovered from the fight with Jin. He was really strong; actually she had never seen someone fight like him. Ling got up and went to the bathroom to dress up. When she returned, she rewrote a part of her letter to her grandfather.

-'Jin isn't so bad after all, he seems very cold sometimes, but yesterday I think I saw his true nature, especially when he helped me. Maybe I will be able to help him too.'

She smiled when she finished the sentences and she sealed the envelope. Then she went downstairs for breakfast.

Ling was surprised to see that Jin was there waiting for her.

-'Good Morning.'-she greeted.

-'Hi…'

-'Were you waiting for me?'

Jin nodded.

-'I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long.'

-'No…you didn't.'-Jin said.

-'Just for an hour and a half.'-Taka said entering.

-'Taka!'-Jin complained.

-'It's true…'-Taka replied.

-'Oh my…I'm so sorry…you could've called me!'-Ling apologised.

-'It's ok.'

After the breakfast Taka announced that they should go to the gym because there was someone there waiting.

Before Ling could leave the living room, Jin grabbed her arm.

-'Wait!'-he asked.

-'What's up?'

-'I'm sorry for what happened yesterday and for being a jerk to you…'

Ling was surprised, especially when he bowed.

-'It's alright…I accepted the challenge, so it wasn't your fault.'

-'Yes, it was.'-Jin looked at her smile and lowered his head, but his eyes met a bruise on her left arm. He immediately felt guilty and disgusted for having inflicted her that bruise.

In that moment, a man came to meet them. By his appearance, he was about forty years old, but he looked very rough.

-'Kids! Come inside!'-he called.

Jin and Ling met him in the gym.

-'My name is Yushino Kitano and I'm going to assist you on your training…'-he said with a smile.-'You must be Kazama and Xiaoyu…Takane told me your names…'

-'Takane?'-Ling asked.

-'Taka…'-Jin explained.-'Takane is her real name…'

-'Oh…'

-'Are you ready for this?'-Kitano asked.

Jin and Ling nodded and waited for his next instructions.

-'Heihachi told me that you are an excellent fighter.'-Kitano said facing Jin.-'And he also said that Miss Xiaoyu needs more practice than you do, so I'll start with her, ok?'

-'No…'-Jin said immediately before Ling could step forward.

-'What do you mean?'-Kitano asked surprised.

-'Xiaoyu is hurt…'-Jin explained.

-'Hurt? How?'

-'She…'-Jin started. He was ashamed to say that he had injured a girl, a very beautiful girl.

-'I was training yesterday with Jin and I didn't pay attention, so I got injured…but it's not serious.'-Ling interrupted. Jin looked at her; he knew she had said that so he wouldn't have to explain how he had hurt her.

-'Come here!'-Kitano ordered.

Ling approached him and Kitano put his right hand on her stomach and pressed it. Ling felt some pain.

-'Ouch…'-she said.

Kitano continued his "medical" exam. He touched her shoulders, then her backs and finally her legs. Jin wasn't pleased to see that he was touching Ling's body, but he knew that Kitano was only making sure how deep her injuries were, so he didn't say anything.

-'I guess Kazama is right. You can't fight in the next three days.'-Kitano finally announced.

-'I'm really sorry master Kitano.'-Ling apologised.

-'I'll take her place.'-Jin said all of a sudden.

-'What?'-Kitano asked.-'Heihachi told me that you wanted to train all by yourself!'

-'I changed my mind. I need someone to fight against me…it will be an honour to train with you…'-Jin said and bowed.

-'Very well…while Xiaoyu recovers, you and I will be training partners.'

-'What about me?'-Ling asked.

-'Sit down and watch carefully. I'm sure you'll learn some interesting things while you watch us.'-Kitano said.

Ling watched Jin going to the centre of the gym and she sat down on the floor. A few minutes later, Jin and Kitano were fighting.

She saw then that Jin was even better than she thought. Kitano was also a very prestigious master, but for some reason, Ling had the feeling that Jin wasn't showing all of his strengths. For some reason that Ling ignored, Jin didn't want to show his superiority over Kitano.

24th DECEMBER

In that rainy morning, Ling and Jin took their breakfast together and went to school. Miharu was surprised when she saw them arriving and she noticed that Ling had said something to Jin before he went to his classes.

-'What was that all about?'-Miharu asked.

-'Nothing.'

-'Nothing? You never spoke with him before…'

-'Maybe it's time I start speaking with him…I mean we're living in the same house.'

-'Oh shit!'

-'What?'

-'He got you. You're starting to like him, aren't you?'

-'No…it's not that! It's just that maybe he's not as bad as you think he is!'

-'Forget it. You will never convince me.'

Miharu entered the classroom and she refused to keep on that conversation about Jin Kazama.

Of course she thought he was handsome and very sexy, but that wasn't the point. The point was that he wasn't trustful and he wasn't nice either. He had never showed any will to meet knew people and make some friends. And most of the times, he was rude and cold towards people, even the teachers.

Miharu hated people like him and she wasn't ready to change her mind, not even for her best friend.

At lunch time, Ling and Miharu were in the cafeteria with many other students. Jin was the only one who was sitting alone on a table. All the girls were looking at him, giving him glances and whispering things to each others. They were clearly interested in him, but Jin was totally ignoring them.

-'Jin Kazama fan club in action!'-Miharu complained.-'They are ridiculous. I hope I don't see you acting like that…'-she added to Ling.

-'I don't understand why he's always alone…'-Ling said ignoring her friend's last words.

-'Because it's his nature! Just leave it!'-Miharu said.

Ling continued to look at him and she felt sad. She hated to see how lonely he was. Then, suddenly, Jin looked directly at her and Ling smiled at him. Jin couldn't help to blush and he felt extremely stupid because it was the first time he was blushing. Fortunately for him, Ling didn't notice.