Chapter 8

Jin woke up the next day, unable to get enough sleep. He glanced at the ringing alarm clock, which read 5:30 AM. He hit the stop button and changed into a black and white outfit: black leather shoes, black formal trousers, a white shirt and a black trechcoat with long back-tails. He yawned and went to Asuka's room to check on her, but she wasn't there.

'Jeez, where the hell has she ran off to?'

Jin thought she may have gone for a walk and went to the office. He sat on his chair and turned around, looking at the city, whose buildings looked so small from his viewpoint from up there. He was feeling like Gulliver in Lilliput from the novel Gulliver's travels, which Ryo had gifted him when he was 6 years old while visiting him and Jun back in Yakushima. Just then, his PA system beeped, and Reiko entered with a cup of coffee and greeted him.

"Konnichiwa, Kazama-san! Here's your coffee."

Jin looked at her, surprised how did she come to know that he was awake. He smiled and took the cup of coffee.

"Good morning to you too, Reiko-chan. How did you come to know that I am awake?"

"Nothing special, sir. The stop button on your alarm clock triggers a bell in my office, and I get to know that you have woken up, sir. Do you like the coffee's taste? Does it need sugar or something?" Jin took a sip and looked at her again.

These damn bastards even bugged my alarm clock. Can't I have some 'me' time?

"No, everything's okay. I like it." Jin took a sip again. Reiko smiled at him and started walking out, until Jin called her again. "I am really sorry for what happened last night. I was not in a good mood then. Hope you'll forgive me."

Reiko was surprised. For the first time in her stint as the PA of the CEO of Mishima Zaibatsu, the CEO himself had apologised to her. She knew Heihachi and Kazuya to be quite arrogant, unlike Jin. She started feeling awkward. "N-No, Kazama-san, it's fine. No need to apologise to me..."

"Call me Jin instead. We are about the same age, and I feel strange when someone calls me that." Jin said, trying to avoid her gaze. She smiled again, and went off. Jin stood up with his coffee, and started walking in his office, thinking about how he would go about killing Heihachi. Just then, he heard a loud thud from somewhere behind the wall that used to have Heihachi's photo. He came closer to the wall and noticed a fine rectangular gap in it, something like a door. Assuming that it must be a secret entrance to some room, he took a few steps back and kicked that part of the wall with all his might. It slid open and revealed a huge collection of sneakers similar to the one in their estate, and in the middle of the room was Asuka.

"So, I was caught, huh? Konnichiwa, Aniki."

"Konnichiwa. Sneaker collection part 2? You were hiding all the new ones so I should take the older ones, right?" Jin said looking at his sister, who in turn was looking at a chest near his legs with curiosity.

"Now, what's up with my legs?" Jin said angrily, waiting for an response. Asuka then pointed at the chest. Jin looked at it with a gaze that children have when they see something nice at a museum. Asuka scrambled to it and opened it up, as it was unlocked.

'If they had to keep something open and accessible, why should they keep it in a chest in the first place? It's owner is an idiot.' Jin thought, only to find out later that the idiot was himself. Asuka checked its contents: Some old photo's of Jin and his high-school friends probably took on the day of graduation, another photo of Jin, Xiaoyu and another boy and a girl who were the same age as him, posing with an FD and a FC in the background, and one with Heihachi on Jin's 19th birthday. She also found Jin's old report cards and a black and white karate gi, with his trademark flame design, the flame being colored white instead of the usual red. The upper part was black with white striping near the edges, and the back had Jin's Devil mark embroidered on it. Asuka looked at her brother, curious to ask some questions.

"Aniki, I want to ask a few questions, if you don't mind."

"Sure. Go on." Jin took another sip of his coffee and looked at his sister.

"Who are those two people beside you in this photo, Aniki?" She showed him the photo with the FD and the FC in the background. Jin replied: "The boy is Shin and the girl is Miharu Hirano. We used to be good friends at high school."

"So this is Shin, huh? He's quite handsome but not as much as you are, Oni-chan. When I was 15, I watched your matches in the Tekken Tournament 3. I was amazed when I saw you perform some moves from the Kazama-ryu and thought if you and I were relatives. I asked Oji-chan about you, and he dissmissed my idea being silly. In fact, I was a big fan of you!" Jin's face become red and he turned backwards to hide his blushing face. Asuka let out a short and a high laugh, at his reaction.

"Any more questions, Asuka? I've work to do now."

"Yeah, what happened after the third tournament? The media said you were missing, but I know that's false. You didn't appear in any broadcasted matches of the fourth tournament either. Along with Feng Wei, I wanted to know about you; you were the main reason for my entering of the fifth tournament."

"Well, that is one long story. I entered the 3rd Tournament to avenge mother's 'death' by defeating True Ogre. It was a difficult one, but I managed to pull it off at the end. Just as I came out of his temple in Mexico, the Tekken Squad ambushed me and Heihachi shot me in the head..." Jin took a sip of his coffee while Asuka gulped and continued listening.

"I couldn't believe it myself, and was still hoping that he might have shot me by mistake, and mustered enough strength to have a glance at him. But no, the old fart was grinning at the success of his plan. I had lost hope, but the Akuma within started awakening. Though I tried preventing it, I was too weak then. Heihachi laughed and walked away with his soldiers, until I stood up with my new powers and threw a soldier at him. I then flew in the air, and most probably annihilated his whole troop; I have no real memory of what happened then.

Next I woke up on a hill, lying without any strength. I touched my head, and it no longer pained. I tried to recollect what exactly had happened, but only remebered Heihachi shooting me in the head. I wasn't able to accept the fact that my own grandpa had attempted to kill me, whom I had loved and trusted so deeply. I was filled with so much anger, hatred and thirst for blood of my grandpa. I swore then and there itself that I wouldn't stop until I killed him first, and then die without any children to end this cursed bloodline once and for all. That is the main reason why I become over-protective of you whenever that Hwoarang tries to flirt with you, not that he gets on my nerves. I started to loathe everything related to my bloodline: My fighting style, my blood, my Devil Gene, our grandpa and our father, whom I thought to be already dead at that time. I came down from the hill, and saw a small town and walked to it. I saw poster of my 'missing', and Heihachi had announced a million dollar reward to the person who would find me. So, my first instinct was to get the hell out of Mexico and stay away from Japan as well. But I had no money. So I started looking for a job.

I walked down the street, looking and enquiring through sign language if somebody had any job for me. I looked for 5 days, and was starving without any food or water. On the sixth day, I met a man named Juan. He used to be a labour contractor and hired me as a manual scavenger. My job was to clean the drainages every day." Jin paused for a moment and took another sip of coffee, while Asuka was shocked.

"Ugh, that's so disgusting, Aniki! How did you manage it?"

"Of course it was disgusting, especially when one had lived a rich man's life. But I had only two choices: Either get out of Mexico or die at the hands of Heihachi, and I chose the former. It taught me two of the most important things I think everyone should inculcate: humility and hardwork. After a few months, the Tekken Force came to the town and started searching for me. But I hadn't collected enough money till then. I begged Juan to lend me some money, promising to return it back. He reluctantly agreed and gave me enough money for reaching Mexico City and for a third class air ticket. I rushed to the city's international airport, and found that all flights except one to Brisbane, Australia were full. I bought one ticket for Brisbane and headed there.

Again, I started searching for a job there. It was easier this time, as I was good enough at English. But I couldn't find any job. Then, the next week, I was able to find a dojo that taught Kyokushinkai Karate. I went to it's master, explained to him about my situation and demonstrated to him whatever I knew. He agreed to take me under his wing, and trained me in the ways of Kyokushinkai. It took about an year and a half, before I could fully unlearn my old style: a mix of Mishima-ryu and Kazama-ryu. Just then, the Tekken Tournament 4 was announced, and I bid goodbye to my master. He gifted that black and white karate gi to me on the day I left. Now, answer me. Do you still think that I am the luckier one out of the two of us?" Just then, the PA system beeped.

"Jin, Mr. Chaolan says he's got your data ready. Can I allow him in?"

"Sure. Allow him in, Reiko-chan."

"What data, aniki?"

"Nothing. Go and change your dress, and look like a real businesswoman. Those penguin pajamas of yours don't look nice. In the meantime, I'll be checking the data that uncle Lee brought for me." Jin went out of the room, while Asuka felt pity towards him, for all the suffering he had went through. She went to her room, thinking about what she would do if she was in his place.