A/N: So the chapter title says it all really, zero action and exposition central. Sorry about that! I had an extreme fuzzy headache going on while writing this, but I tried to polish it up as best as I could. Stick with it, I know that all the exposition might be yawnworthy, so I attempted to liven things up towards the end.

NEVER EVER


As the wind blew, announcing the change of season
I felt a little further from you and it scared me

--- FRIEND, Ayumi Hamasaki

Chapter Nineteen: Information

"Hey, so I managed to find some stuff!" Miharu says when I answer my phone. I can hear her favourite CD playing in the background as she informs me I owe her big since she had to turn down getting a coffee with Hikaru and sit in the library half the day.

"Aw, I'm sorry, Mi. I'm sure he'll ask again, right?"

Hwoarang, who's obviously eavesdropping, shakes his head and steals my chair by the window.

"Of course he will!" Miharu replies. "How could he not?"

"Exactly. So, uh, what did you find?"

"Well, nothing much until I had a look in one of those massive reference only books! Jeez, it was heavy. And I couldn't check it out so I had to sit in the library and make notes..."

"...Okay?"

"Oh, and the sun was shining outside, and there was a sale on at that shoe place across the road... And every time I looked out of the window, there were people walking out with the stuff they'd bought... mocking me..."

"Okay, okay!" I laugh. "I get it! I owe you. I'll buy you a huge mocha or something to make up for wasting your afternoon, promise."

"Damned right you will, Ling Xiaoyu!"

"So... you made notes?"

"Yeah, got 'em right here. My internet's on the fritz, and you made it sound like it was urgent, so I figured I'd call you instead of emailing."

"Yeah, it kinda is. Thanks, Mi, really."

"Sure. So, notes... you got a pen?"

"Um, gimme a second." I lean over to grab my notepad from on top of the cabinet, wincing as pain sears through my sore joints. Damn, I feel like an old, arthritic woman. "Right, I got it."

"Okay. The full story goes like this; some virtuous brave warrior guy with a name I'm not even gonna try to pronounce from way way way back, like, a thousand years back, led his army into this massive battle against a neighbouring country. Or something like that. I can't read my handwriting. Anyway, after a really long super fierce battle, his side came out on top against all the odds. Kinda like in 300."

"Uh-huh?"

"Argh, hold on, I just need to find the remote, this song bores me."

My eyes wander around the room as I wait. The smell of antiseptic's mixed in with the air freshener, but right now the antiseptic's winning out over the jasmine. I should really tidy up around here at some point.

"Okay, back. So, yeah, Mr. Virtuous and his best friend are the only ones left standing, right? Victorious over all they survey and that kind of thing. Things're going pretty well. Until the best friend draws his sword and skewers him, which, by the way, was described in really gross detail, like muscle and sinew getting sliced and stuff, and I was glad I skipped breakfast at that point."

"I thought you said your mum was getting on at you for doing that?"

"Yeah, she was out this morning though so she couldn't force toast down my throat. What bit did I get to now?"

"Gross detail?"

"Oh yeah. So, turns out the best friend's in love with the warrior's wife. Typical, huh? What is it with guys, even ancient ones? Did the moron really think that the wife would go 'Oh, my husband's dead? Sure I'll just forget him and do the nasty with you!' I mean, seriously?"

"Miharu, is there any point to this story? I mean, it sounds like you're telling me what happened on some soap opera more than anything else."

"Hey, I'm getting to it!"

I struggle over to the bed and sit down; my legs still hurt like hell after that match. Hwo's picked up a copy of Cosmo I brought along, and I settle against the pillows and watch him as he flips through. It's funny to see the indignant faces he makes when he reads something he doesn't agree with.

"Okay, so the warrior's been struck down and he's lying in the mud bleeding, his best friend's left him there, and he's not too happy about the whole situation. Then this spirit shows up and offers to save him from death and give him a chance at revenge, and the warrior's so pissed off that he jumps at the chance without asking what's in it for the spirit."

"I'm guessing that was the wrong decision."

"Right. The spirit possesses him and follows his best friend back to the village, then burns the whole place to the ground. So yeah, he gets revenge on his friend, but his wife and all the villagers he was fighting to defend get toasted in the fire too. And he's stuck sharing a body with this evil spirit for the rest of his life. Kinda sucks to be him. I guess it's one of those 'be careful what you wish for' things."

Sharing a body, huh? I bite my lip, thinking of the threatening Jin but not Jin voice.

"Anyway, that's the most detailed story I found. There were some others, too, same type of thing every few hundred years or so. Someone gets betrayed by someone they trust and left for dead, they've got an extreme desire to even the score, this spirit pops up and offers them revenge, nastiness ensues, and--" she stops herself, makes a disgusted noise. "Ensues? God, I've been studying way too much!"

"Sounds like it." I laugh, trying my best to sound upbeat. "But thanks for all this."

"Hey, as long as you don't forget you owe me a mocha, it's cool. Damn, I'm running out of credit. Hey, can you call me back? I've got some gossip for you that you wouldn't believe!"

"Sure, talk to you in a bit."

I flip my phone closed and heave a sigh. Well that settles it then. It has to be Heihachi. He must have been the person who betrayed Jin and caused this whole thing. There's no other explanation that makes sense. The email I got, what Jin said the other day... Plus, there was no one else who Jin would have trusted enough to feel betrayed by. I know that, but still... I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe that Heihachi would tell me he was worried about Jin, promise to tell me if he got any word from him, get his secretary to call me every so often in case I'd had any contact, fake concern about Jin's whereabouts...

Maybe I have no choice.

But then again, why would he do something like that to his grandson?

"I can almost hear the cogs turning in your head, kid." Hwoarang says. "Something wrong?"

"Doesn't matter. I don't want to distract you from 'three words that make you irresistible to any man', after all."

I wobble my way off the bed and stand up, but he puts the magazine to one side and catches up with me when I move to start out of the room.

"Why the hell do you need a magazine to tell you three words to make you irresistible to any man anyway? 'I'll blow you' works like a charm, trust me."

I make a face. "Yeah, 'cause that's romantic."

"Hey, you do realise you almost got your ass kicked about an hour ago, right? You're hardly in any state to go for a stroll."

"I need to go call Miharu, there's payphones downstairs, right?"

"What's wrong with your phone?" he asks, letting me lean on him for support as we slowly make our way down the corridor. I have no idea how I'm gonna even attempt my next match like this. Grandfather would not be impressed.

"No credit."

"Damn, and I was planning on using it later..."

"For what?"

"Well, there's this girl on TV who rolls around on a bed in her underwear waiting to get texts from guys. She says she's lonely."

I give him a withering look, but I have to say, if he wasn't here to make stupid quips, I'd probably be spiralling into despair. I guess I was kinda hoping that there'd be some sort of happy ending to the myth about the devil spirit. You know, where in the end, someone saves the virtuous warrior or something, sets him free from his curse and puts everything right. Stupid, I know.

How am I supposed to help Jin now? Finding out what the problem is has just raised more questions. Like, 'how can I even begin to try and help him' type questions. This whole thing is getting far too big and complicated for me to handle. Toshin was one thing, but this... this is something else.

Once we get downstairs, I hand Hwo my wallet with a sigh.

"My fingers hurt, find something to... put in there." I mutter, leaning against the wall next to the phone and staring off into the distance, probably looking for all the world like a sulky teenager who just got told she was grounded or something. After a moment Hwoarang clears his throat, and I glance at him, figuring he's about to tease me for being in such a mood, but the thing he's holding up stuns me into silence.

"I haven't used a payphone in a while," he starts, arching an eyebrow, "...but I'm pretty sure they don't take these, Xiao."

He's referring to the... uh... contraceptive... that Miharu jammed into my wallet before the tournament started. 'You never know, Xiao! You might see Jin, and you said you and him got pretty far last time around, right?'

Damn, why did I leave it in there?

"M-Miharu gave it to me! I forgot it was there, okay? I didn't bring it here on purpose!"

My voice echoes around the lobby - which is thankfully empty right now - and I just know that I've gone bright red, face burning hot as I try and fail to snatch it out of his hand. The smooth sound of the automatic entrance doors opening and closing reaches my ears, and I turn pleading eyes to Hwoarang.

"Come on, Hwo, just give it back!"

"Why, you planning on using it sometime soon?"

He looks caught somewhere between amused and annoyed, and the amused thing I can understand, but I really don't get why he'd be annoyed with me. Eh, I suppose 'mildly annoyed' is kinda his default setting, after all. Just like 'humiliated' seems to be mine, and 'dead' will be Miharu's if I get hold of her.

"Uh... hey, I was gonna ask you guys if you wanted to come chill in the bar with me, but... looks like you've already got plans for tonight."

I gape at Christie, and before I can reply, Hwoarang slings an arm around my shoulders, slipping the condom into the chest pocket of my vest.

"Gotta work the stress off somehow, right?" he grins, and Christie laughs, smoothing her ponytail down with graceful fingers.

"I guess so..." she agrees, and I quickly move away from Hwo, desperately trying to stammer out some kind of protest or explanation or something. Why couldn't he have just said it was his or something? Okay, that wouldn't have explained why I was trying to get it back, but still! My mouth is refusing to co-operate, and Christie flashes me an understanding smile.

"So, not your boyfriend, huh? I won't say a word." she winks, and heads off towards the bar before I can splutter at her some more.

I suppose I should just be grateful that it was Christie and not Jin. But to be honest, right now I think I'd be even more grateful if someone would just kill me.