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Chapter 17 – Moon Gazing
-'I can't believe it's you…'-Julia said.
-'What the hell are you doing here? Hey that's mine!'-Hwoarang pointed to her hands.
-'Here! Now give me mine!'-she gave him his bag and frowned.
Hwoarang took his bag and entered the room. Julia's stuff was still on the bed.
-'You opened my bag? Who gave you permission?'-she asked entering too.
-'I thought it was mine!'
-'You went through my clothes!'
-'So? I was looking for something to identify the owner…'
-'You jerk!'
-'Jerk? Now Miss…you need to control your language if you want to be respected.'
-'You have some nerves…'
-'Don't make a drama…I'll put everything back, ok? It's not as if I'm going to steal…'
-'Put everything back now! Did you read my documents?'-Julia asked with a bit of panic in her voice.
-'No! Why would I do that? I don't even like to read.'
-'So you decided to have fun with my underwear, is that it?'-Julia inquired watching her bra on his hands.
-'What if I did?'
-'You're a pervert!'
-'A what?'
-'A pervert!'
-'Oh…babe…don't even go there! You don't have any idea what I'm capable of!'
-'Right…To be honest I don't even want to know.'
-'I do have an advice for you…'
-'What makes you think that I need an advice, especially coming from you?'
-'Well…this does.'-Hwoarang held her bra and threw it at her.-'Either you are old-fashioned or you have never been with a man…because girls don't wear white underwear anymore. Well unless they're little girls…it's not sexy…got it?'
Julia didn't know what to say. She was completely speechless because that subject was a bit uncomfortable for her to talk about.
-'Cat ate your tongue?'-Hwoarang provoked.
-'No…'-she finally said.-'No one gave you permission to play with my private things and in this moment I wish I could kick you right in the…'
-'We can do better things…I see you're full of energy…'-he teased.
-'Go to hell!'
-'Come on…if you never did it, I can teach you…'-he continued.-'My bed is huge…actually it's too big for me, I can really use some company. What do you say?'
Julia took her bag off his hands and got out. That guy was simply disgusting.
-'Hey! It's not my fault you bought a bag like mine and we switched them…'-Hwoarang shouted. Luckily for Julia they were the only ones staying in the hotel at the moment.
She continued her way without looking back.
-'If you change your mind, you know where to find me! Oh and by the way…I prefer black underwear…I bet you look sexy in it!'
Julia gave him the finger and entered her room. Hwoarang laughed and closed his door too.
While she was in the shower, Julia couldn't stop thinking about Hwoarang, especially because he could be a spy working for Heihachi Mishima. She was there to find her mother, Michelle. Years ago, while working in an archaeology excavation in Mexico, Michelle had found something important but before she could do anything, some men appeared and took her. No ransom was asked, so after a month of searches, the police decided to close the case. Michelle would be considered lost or dead and that was it. But for Julia it was different. She never gave up and a year ago she had received an e-mail from someone that she knew. She had almost one hundred percent sure that it was Michelle. The e-mail was about the Mishima Zaibatsu and since then Julia was investigating the Mishima family. Now she knew almost everything, including about the devil gene and the events of the previous tournaments.
She was there to get her mother back and to punish Heihachi for what he was trying to do. But she needed help and that was why she was determined to find Jin Kazama. She knew he would listen to her story and help her, because he was Jun's child and Jun was Michelle's friend.
After the shower, Julia went to work on her laptop and she decided to send a message to the G Corporation so they could investigate Hwoarang. An hour later she was reading his profile.
Hwoarang, nineteen years old, South Korean…no surname, there's nothing about his parents either. He was arrested in his country twice and he has a huge criminal record. The type of guy who ends up working for a creep like Mishima. I wouldn't be surprised if he's a spy. But on the other hand he doesn't look like a spy; he looks more like someone who is always searching for troubles. I guess I have to wait and find out.
15th APRIL
More people were arriving to the hotel. Hwoarang had been focused on his possible opponents. So far Jin Kazama hadn't showed up and Hwoarang was growing impatient. Julia was probably the only opponent that Hwoarang feared so far. Not because of her strengths and fighting skills because he had never saw her fighting, but because he was never focused when she was present. There was a new girl though, her name was Anna Williams and she was cute too, but she wasn't very friendly.
When Ling arrived to the hotel she didn't know exactly what to wait for. But she quickly understood that she was staying in a normal hotel, only the difference was that everyone there was a good fighter and everyone was determined to win the tournament.
Heihachi left with Dr. Abel and told Ling to warn him immediately when Jin arrived. Ling nodded but she had no intention to warn him. After changing her clothes, Ling went downstairs to explore the hotel and surroundings. She noticed that the hotel was in the centre of that small island and it was one of the four buildings in there. There was the hotel, a hospital, a small compound with two restaurants, and a gym. In front of the hotel there was a small artificial lake and a cute garden with many trees and flowers.
Ling liked what she saw but soon she was tired and bored. Hotels were all the same and she was a bit tired of all that comfort and luxury. She preferred to camp in tents or something else different. But if there was something that she had learned from living with Heihachi, was not to question his orders, so if he was offering her and the others a comfortable staying in that hotel, she couldn't refuse.
Defeated and bored, Ling slowly returned to her bedroom. She passed through Yoshimitsu, the man with the weird mask, and she almost had a heart attack when she saw a jaguar standing in front of her. Ling took a few minutes to understand that the jaguar was a man with a mask.
She was so shocked and surprised that she bumped into a girl who was coming down the hall.
-'I'm sorry…I wasn't paying attention.'-Ling apologised.
-'It's ok…it happened the same to me when I saw him.'
Ling smiled to the girl and then she noticed that she was wearing fighting clothes.
-'You're going to enter the tournament?'-Ling asked.
-'Yes, I am. What about you?'
-'I'm going to enter too. I wasn't expecting to see another girl.'
-'Oh…but there are more.'
-'Really?'
-'Yes, at least two more. Look I'm going to have a shower and change…do you want to have dinner with me later?'
-'Sure…but I don't know your name yet…'
-'I'm Julia Chang.'
-'I'm Ling Xiaoyu, nice to meet you.'
An hour later, Julia and Ling were both chatting while having dinner. Julia was surprised to know that Ling was only sixteen and that she was allowed to fight in the tournament.
-'You must be really strong.'-Julia declared.
-'Not really. You need to meet my friend; he's the strongest fighter I've seen. But I've been training hard too.'
-'What are you going to do with the money if you win?'
-'I'm going to help my grandfather and our friends in China and I'm going to have my own amusement park!'
-'That's really nice…'
-'And you?'
-'I'm going to help to reforest my homeland…Arizona. We need to protect Mother Earth.'
-'You're right. If I win I'll give you part of money…'
-'That's really kind of you! But I'm not the only one with good intentions here, you know? See that guy with the jaguar mask?'
-'Yeah…'
-'He's famous in Mexico…He wants to win so he can build an orphanage to the kids…'
-'At first he looked scaring, but now he doesn't. He has a good heart!'-Ling said watching King having his dinner.
-'He's not the only one…that blonde guy over there is Paul Phoenix. He's also famous in the USA. He helps poor children. And his friend, Forest Law owns a restaurant with his father, but I heard they are in troubles, so he came here to win the money and help his father.'
-'I guess you think my dream is petty…'
-'No, of course not. To reforest my homeland is not as important as to save children…so if I thought that about your dream, I had to think the same about mine…'
-'Is there anyone else you know?'
-'Yes…those two are the Williams sisters. The blonde one is Nina, the brunette is Anna. They don't get along.'
-'I see…that's why they're eating in different tables…are they here to set scores?'
-'Probably.'
-'What about that guy? The one with the scars.'
-'His name is Bryan. He's brutal and cruel…I don't like him much. But Lei Wulong is nice…'
-'Lei Wulong…is he Chinese?'
-'I think so. He's a cop and a very good fighter.'
-'What about the guy who is talking to Wulong?'
-'That's Eddie Gordo, I don't know much about him but he's from Brazil.'
-'Well, I guess you know everything about the other fighters and their motives to be here, huh?'
-'Not all…'
-'I hope I don't have to fight against you…since we're friends!'
-'Yeah…lets hope not!'
An hour later, Julia left Ling in the elevator and went to her room to rest. Ling was a nice girl, she was always talking, but she seemed to be an honest person.
Ling entered her room and felt a strange feeling. She was starting to believe that maybe Jin was right about that tournament, maybe she shouldn't be there. But then again, she wanted to be there, she wanted to enter the tournament and she had to win.
Ling went to the balcony and saw the beautiful moon in the night sky. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the cool breeze on her face.
-'You look bored…'-a voice said.
She recognised Jin immediately and there he was, right next to her.
-'Jin…what are you doing here?'-she asked hugging him.
-'I arrived just now, and since you were having dinner with a friend I decided to wait for you here.'
-'How did you get in?'
-'I'm still Heihachi's grandson…'
-'Right…Does he know you're here?'
Jin shrugged.
-'Did you train hard after I left?'-he asked.
-'Of course…Miharu helped me. We were worried about you! And angry!'
-'Why?'
-'You didn't say goodbye!'
-'Sorry…but you were sleeping and I knew you would come to the tournament.'
-'Idiot!'
-'Are you still angry?'
Ling sighed and then she smiled at him.
-'No…you're my friend.'
-'Good…what about Miharu, is she ok?'
-'Sure, she tried to convince me not to come. She even pretended to be sick the day before…'
-'Miharu was right. You shouldn't have come. This is dangerous.'
-'Dangerous? It's a tournament, Jin. What's wrong with that?'
-'In the end you'll realise what I'm saying.'
-'I'm a good fighter too. I can take care of myself.'
-'I don't doubt that but, you're still young…and you still believe in people.'
-'What?'
-'Can't you see? You were never betrayed like I was, you believe in other people because you're good and pure, but I can't believe in people because I was betrayed so many times, and by my own family.'
-'I'm sorry to hear that, Jin…but I'm here and I'm going to stay until the end…I don't care if it's dangerous or if I'll get hurt…I want to be here and I want to help you.'
Ling blushed when she said the last words, but fortunately Jin didn't notice.
-'I should thank you for being here for me…'-Jin said.-'But I know you'll get hurt…and I'm sorry for that.'
-'Lets think about something else ok? Look at the moon Jin…and tell me, isn't it beautiful?'
-'Yes…'-Jin answered a bit surprised.
-'As long as we can see the moon, everything will be fine. There's always the moon…there's always hope…'
-'Hope?'-Jin questioned.-'My mother used to say that…'-he whispered.
After speaking with Ling, Jin decided to go and meet his grandfather. Heihachi would know he was there sooner or later. When Jin got to his room, Heihachi sent Dr. Abel away and when they were alone, he walked towards Jin. Heihachi clenched his fists and tried to hit Jin but his grandson blocked the punch.
-'You won't hit me so easily…'-Jin grinned.
-'I see…you trained hard.'
-'Of course. What were you expecting?'
-Where were you?'
-'It doesn't matter…I'm here now.'
-'You have four days to rest until the tournament starts. Enjoy your time and look around, I think you'll find some familiar faces.'
Jin approached Heihachi even more. Their faces were almost touching.
-'I'm here to warn you that I know you're up to something and I won't let you get away with it.'-Jin said.
-'Really?'
-'I'm not Kazuya. I won't be eliminated that easily and I'll be prepared. I know that I'm cursed to have this blood…but I will be free!'
Jin turned away and opened the door. When he was leaving, Heihachi decided to provoke him.
-'You're wrong Jin…You're exactly like Kazuya! Do you really think you can be free? Think again boy…'
Jin felt his blood boil but he managed to stay calm. He looked at his grandfather one last time and closed the door. Although he didn't want to admit, Heihachi was probably right. The Mishima blood was a curse and he would never get rid of it.
