It was mid-March, and nearly five months since Jin had last left the estate. He knew he'd set back relations with his grandfather on New Years Day, and that there would be inevitable fallout from that, but his heart was hopeful now. Cherry blossom season was upon them, and Jin knew that was Heihachi's favourite time of year. It was also only a week or so from the start of the new school year, and once winter vacation had ended with no change in his schooling situation, Jin had moved his thoughts to the possibility of returning in April.

He was armed with knowledge now as well. His tutor, Kimura, was patient if no nonsense in his lessons, and Jin better grasped now what was expected of him. He knew the correct expressions to make and the right way to hold himself around others. He intended to demonstrate model behaviour this week as his grandfather opened up the cherry orchard to the public for a small festival hosted on the estate grounds.

Jin selected for himself a dark suit, complimented by a blood red shirt. He wrapped up in his winter coat with a light brown woollen scarf about his neck. He found that in clothes like these, it was easier to garner an understated respect from those around him. People assumed him more mature, and were less likely to belittle his actions and choices. He put on a pair of sunglasses.

"I hope those aren't staying on during the festival," Heihachi said, when he saw the glasses.

They were getting into a vintage, open-topped convertible that Jin hadn't been in before. Its pastel shade and smooth curves had Jin distracted for a moment. He flashed Heihachi a quick, serviceable smile.

"Only if the weather calls for it."

Heihachi gave a huff and Jin remembered he was meant to be ingratiating himself today. As the driver started up the engine, Jin turned to his grandfather.

"How many guests are usually in attendance at the festival?"

Heihachi still bore a grumbling expression, but deigned to answer.

"Usually a few hundred on any given day."

Jin nodded. "And similar numbers for the evening?"

"Sometimes more."

"Do we have adequate refreshments?"

"Complimentary drinks are being provided. I've allowed a small number of food retailers to set up stalls near the edge of the field."

Jin nodded. "You are very organised, Ojiisama. I think the festival will be a great success, the weather will stay clear today."

"The radio said Tokyo was due to be overcast this afternoon, maybe even rain…"

"There is a prevailing south wind: we are unlikely to receive any weather fronts blowing in from Tokyo."

Heihachi looked content after that, and seemed to have forgotten the sunglasses friction from earlier.

When they arrived at the orchard, Jin nearly forgot all his proper composure. The trees were fountains of blossoms, all cascading down in clouds of pink and white. When the wind shook them, a snow of petals quivered through the air.

"Quite something, eh?" Heihachi said, catching sight of his awe.

Jin remembered himself and schooled his expressions. He nodded in response and followed his grandfather. At the gate, the stalls Heihachi had mentioned were set up just outside – bento and hot street food were being sold out of little tents erected there. Just within the gate, Jin recognised some of the kitchen staff from the estate, all dressed in their best, manning a table with a water boiler, where they were making cherry blossom tea.

The field itself was wide and square, with its ornamental cherries planted in neat rows. Under its bows, picknickers were eating, and others were strolling. Lanterns had been strung between the branches, though they wouldn't be lit until evening.

The morning was bright and clear – so bright that the sun was glaring off the white blossoms, casting halos of brilliance that crowned the orchard. Jin was glad for his sunglasses. When he tested lifting them up, the white made his eyes narrow and head start to throb. They had a dual purpose of also obscuring the fact that he wasn't all that keen on eye contact, especially not with strangers.

Jin made the rounds with his grandfather, standing silently by him as he checked in with the more important personages in attendance. During a longer conversation that had gone the way of business, Jin excused himself to get a cherry petal tea. He smiled more easily with the kitchen staff he recognised. He received a small cup and was glad for its warmth. The ceramic vessel nestled neatly in his hand, heating up his palm.

Jin looked out over the meadow. The light, fragrant aroma of his tea helped him breathe in, then out, relaxing a little and trying to acclimatise to what would likely be a long day here. There were certainly worse places to spend it. He might not care for the company, but he'd never seen blossoms so beautiful before in all his life. Jin stood still and just watched them. His heart filled with a contentment. It was reassuring to think that even someone so practical and business-minded as his grandfather was touched by the beauty of cherry trees in spring.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jin noticed Heihachi's secretary from the Zaibatsu talking lowly to Fujita the butler. Jin wasn't sure he'd ever seen them speak to one another before. The different spheres of Heihachi's life were usually kept quite separate. Jin wondered what those powerhouses of organisation spoke about when their paths crossed. Fujita didn't look as antsy around Miura as he did around Tekken Force. Speaking of whom, Jin noticed a few patrolling the edge of the field now, and a captain standing with arms folded not far from Miura and Fujita.

Jin sipped his tea. He couldn't help but notice the conspiratorial lean in the way Miura and Fujita were talking. His curiosity was finally piqued when the Tekken Force captain joined them. Jin sidled over so that he was close enough to hear.

"They are prize cherry trees, something must be done before Mishima-sama sees. They can't be replaced, they were planted for Kazumi-sama," Fujita was saying.

"I'll handle it," growled the captain.

"Absolutely not," Miura said. "She's the daughter of Maruyama, a very influential businessman who under no circumstances is to be slighted. It's certainly not a matter for Tekken Force to handle."

Jin was definitely interested now. He walked close enough that the conversation came to an abrupt halt. The three of them looked at him.

"Can I help at all?" Jin asked.

There was silence.

"Yes," the captain said, when it looked like the other two weren't going to be forthcoming. "There's a kid kicking at Mishima-kaicho's special trees, and there's going to be hell if he notices or they're damaged."

Jin recognised the captain's voice. He had that rough, military way of talking that was sometimes refreshing if you heard polite staff talking all day. Jin didn't have time to acknowledge the captain though. His gaze instead followed the man's gesture. A small figure was visible on the far side of the orchard. The miscreant in question couldn't have been more than six or seven… She was booting the trunk of an ornamental cherry tree for all she was worth. Jin managed to stop his eyebrows from raising.

"Aren't her parents here?" Jin asked.

Miura gestured to a man and lady sipping tea and engaged in conversation with two men in suits.

"The Maruyama family are known to offend easily. Even a simple matter of asking them to control their daughter may set back years of carefully forged Zaibatsu relations," Miura said, her lips immediately pursing after she'd spoken.

Jin knew what that meant – he needed to stay well away from those Maruyamas. Social niceties were not his forte at the best of times.

"Well, I'll go and talk to the girl," he offered. He was of social rank with her. The staff wouldn't object.

The captain, Miura, and Fujita all went quiet. After a moment, Fujita gestured for him to go ahead.

"Better hurry up, Young Master Jin, or she'll take the bark off that tree."

"It's a delicate matter, Master Kazama," Miura added. "Please do not upset the child."

Jin inclined his head then walked off.

The girl was small, with long hair and a hime cut fringe. She wore a blue frock with white stockings, and was kicking the tree with her instep like a seasoned footballer.

"Hello," Jin tried, approaching her.

They were relatively isolated in this part of the orchard, though the trees had been planted spaced apart, so sightlines were visible from all over the meadow. He really hoped she'd stop kicking that tree before Heihachi glanced this way. The girl swung him a wild, black glare, then kicked the tree again, chipping a scrap of bark away in the process.

"Why are you hurting the tree?" Jin asked.

The girl threw him a withering look.

"You can't hurt a tree," she scoffed at him. She had a high, petulant voice.

Jin set her with an even gaze. "Are you sure?"

She paused to consider that. "Yes… I'm pretty sure."

"What about you? Doesn't it hurt, kicking a tree?"

"I don't care. I can do what I like. My father is Maruyama Gentaro. I don't have to do anything you say."

Jin crouched down next to the tree. He ran a finger over the scraped away bark. The girl shifted behind him, perhaps feeling a little guiltily after all.

"Why are you kicking the tree?" Jin asked her.

"I can do what I like." The girl said again, huffy and proud.

Jin looked at her. She had a deep scowl on her face and a temper to match.

"Is something wrong? Do you not like it here?"

"I hate it here!" she said with venomous enthusiasm.

"You do? Why?"

She screwed up her face until her cheeks went red and Jin was sure she was going to scream. She didn't though, she just hissed, pronouncing each word separately.

"It's – too – noisy!"

Jin looked around the meadow. He squinted against the light. He could barely even hear the murmur of the nearest conversation. A faint wind ruffled the branches. A bird a field a way was singing merrily, just a distant snatch of a song. He stayed squatted by the tree, pondering this.

"You mean with all the light?" he asked. "Noisy in your head like that?"

The girl nodded vigorously and some of her frown disappeared.

"Yes, noisy light!" she exclaimed. "No one ever believes me! My mother says I'm just being contrary! What does contrary mean?"

Jin took off his sunglasses. The white of the blossoms glared down at him. He offered his glasses to the girl.

"Want to try these? They make it less noisy."

The girl took the glasses hesitantly. She put them on. They were Jin's size, so enormous on her face, swamping it so that she looked like she had enormous black bug eyes.

"It's less noisy…" she said, with wonder in her voice.

"You can keep them," Jin said. "But you should say 'bright', for this kind of noisy, or other people won't understand. Use 'noisy' just for when it's loud in your ears. When it's in your eyes, you can put the glasses on."

"Okay…" the girl said.

"And don't kick trees. We are in this world to care for them, not hurt them, alright?"

"Alright…"

"Come and have a look." Jin beckoned her over.

The girl sidled over, dragging her feet a bit. She crouched next to him.

"Put your hand on the tree," Jin instructed her. She did so. "Do you see on your skin, there are tiny dots and lines? These are pores. This is how your skin breathes, through those very tiny holes. Now look at the cherry tree. These lines in the bark? This is where the tree breathes. It has skin like you that it needs for protection, and pores where it breathes."

The girl moved her hand down and touched the places where her kicks had torn off the bark. Her fingers moved over the gashes and a sudden sadness and realisation came over her face.

"Will the tree get better?" she asked.

"Well, I think the damage isn't too deep, so it should be ok, just like how you eventually heal when you cut yourself."

The girl sniffed a little.

"… I'm glad. I won't kick any more trees, I didn't know trees could hurt…"

"Even if you're not sure if something can hurt, it's always good to try and be kind, just in case. Especially if it's something that can't speak for itself. You might be the only person looking out for it."

The girl stared at him with those enormous sunglasses concealing almost all her face.

"Sort of like a tree superhero."

Jin stared back at her.

"…I guess,… if you like."

"I will be a tree superhero. Okay, goodbye, Mr. Treeman."

The girl stood abruptly, then skipped off holding her new glasses to her face.

Jin stood, shading his eyes as he watched her go. He sighed. He had no idea when he'd be able to get another pair of sunglasses. Heihachi wasn't keen on them, so maybe never. If he'd taken that credit card at new year, maybe he would've been able to get a pair on his own some time… provided Tekken Force let him go places alone. At least that girl would be happier though. It would be so frustrating to be that young and so misunderstood. All your words didn't yet match with everything around you and you had to try and explain all the things that were upsetting. He felt very lucky that he'd had an understanding parent.

Jin took a deep breath. He held it and bit down hard on his lip. He closed his eyes tight. The ache was hard in his chest. Let it go, let it go, let it go. Think of the sea. In. Out. In. Out. He let out his breath.

Jin sipped his tea. It was cold. He brushed at his fringe with his fingers, trying to lie it across his vision more. He meandered back to the tea stall and got a refill from the on-duty staff. Everything was that bit harder now that there was nothing between him and other eye contact. He remembered Kimura's lessons though: always pretend that everything is the way it's meant to be; never let anyone know of an inconvenience. Jin sighed, but only internally.

He walked towards the gate, aiming for the food stalls, when Fujita caught up to him.

"Thank you, Master Jin, I'm very glad you were able to end that situation swiftly. Those cherry trees are very dear to your grandfather."

Jin thought about asking about Kazumi, since Fujita had mentioned her before in relation to those trees. He remembered the way Heihachi had stalked out the dojo at the mere mention of her name though. And another of Kimura's lessons: avoid all potentially controversial subjects in polite conversation.

Jin merely inclined his head to the appropriate degree. Fujita bowed to him in turn, a little deeper than he normally did. Jin wondered at that. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard the butler thank him before, come to think of it.

Shortly, Jin was eating complimentary onigiri whilst leaning on a fence post. He was under the shade of a tree and enough of a distance away from others that he could enjoy some relative solitude.

"Jin!" he heard bellowed from somewhere.

Jin immediately stood straight and looked around for his grandfather. Heihachi was striding purposefully across the meadow. Jin watched him, heart starting to beat faster. He felt smaller the closer Heihachi got. He bowed to his grandfather.

"Jin! What on earth did you say to Maruyama-san?!"

Jin paled. If he'd messed this up, he'd be stuck on the estate until summer. Maybe he should have left this to someone else after all.

"I'm sorry," he started, trying to head off the damage.

"Sorry?! I've been trying to get that old bastard to sign exclusive trading rights with the Zaibatsu for a decade! He just made an on-the-spot offer that includes a vast sum more than I'd originally proposed!"

Jin studied his grandfather, trying to work out if that was a good thing or not. He remained cautiously silent just in case, still trying to understand if he was in trouble.

"This is fantastic news! The best news of the fiscal year! You, my boy, are a little star."

Jin's face broke into relief and gratitude, immeasurably happy just then for whatever he'd achieved. Heihachi reached out a hand and ruffled his hair. Jin didn't even care that it looked a little childish in front of everyone, he was just so glad he'd done something right and that his grandfather approved.

"And you've gotten rid of those ugly sunglasses to boot," Heihachi laughed.

Jin's heart sunk, but he was still so pleased that he gave a tentative smile all the same.

"Well, you've certainly proved that you have the grace and manners to handle yourself well. That's not something that will be forgotten in a hurry by myself or my colleagues!"

Jin wasn't really sure what all the fuss was about. It hadn't been that hard to see that the girl was unhappy and that there was likely a reason behind it. He wasn't going to question it though, his heart was so light.

Jin stayed bright all afternoon, lit with the knowledge that Heihachi was pleased with him. It was suddenly much easier to do things – easier to make small talk with strangers, easier to remember his etiquette and proper manners, easier to ignore small annoyances like people coming too close or noise levels growing too loud. Someone even complimented his smile. Jin wasn't sure anyone had ever done that before. He supposed he didn't really smile all that often. He only felt a little sad when he thought of those sunglasses he'd grown to depend on so much. Even that faded when he thought of how happy giving away his glasses had made that little girl.

That evening, Jin helped light the lanterns, taking a long wick to each of the candles so that brilliant paper orbs glowed like ripe fruit under the weeping boughs. There was something magical in the sight – the soft warm of their glow contrasted with the fragrant white petal blossoms drifting slow around them. The weather kept as he'd predicted, and only that slight wind came and sped the fallen blossoms into vortexes at their feet.

As the evening fell into dusk, Jin realised that throughout the day the estate staff had come to him with a lot of queries and troubles – something that never normally occurred. Perhaps it was just that they wanted the festival running smoothly, but he was asked how long the tea ought to be served, and whether blankets from the estate ought to be brought for the guests when the wind got up, and whether he thought the naked flames in the lanterns would be a fire risk in the wind. He was even asked if various important guests would be staying, and went himself to inquire who would be joining them for the evening before communicating this to the butlers.

It was a fair amount of work moving backwards at forwards between the staff and the guests, but in return, his teacup kept refilling and he was supplied with constant hot food: skewers of deep fried tofu in rich sauces, miniature fried cabbage pancakes, baked sweet potato, and miso and soy sauce glazed roasted corn on the cob. Still, it was little compared to his grandfather. Heihachi was everywhere at once – a tireless feature at every conversation, deftly making people laugh and turn admiring eyes his way. Jin wasn't sure how he did it. He was very content himself just to observe and help with managing the back end of the event.

The day ended when the purple sky was littered with stars and the eye of the moon winked down into the branches, drenching everything in moonlight. Jin was helping the estate staff tidy away when Heihachi clicked his fingers and pointed for him to join him. Jin came obediently to his side, and they were driven back to the mansion. Jin glanced up at his grandfather surreptitiously while they were in the car. The convertible hood was up now, and only the faint light from the dashboard and headlights lit any of his grandfather's face. His expression was craggy in the dim light, and wreathed in shadows.

"It there a problem, Jin?"

Jin looked away quickly. "No, Ojiisama."

"Speak your mind."

Jin chewed his lip, then ventured, "It's more work than I thought – talking to people. You talked to them all afternoon and made people smile. You make it look so easy."

"Hmm." Heihachi looked pleased by Jin's observation. Jin felt another blaze of warmth at the recognition. "Festivals like these aren't just to watch some pretty flowers. Some of the most important work of a businessman is making and maintaining connections. The ability to speak with someone, set them at ease, make them feel important and remembered – a corporation is only as strong as the perception of it in people's minds."

Jin faltered, not quite following. He stayed quiet, hoping it was alright that he didn't know what to say. Luckily, Heihachi seemed to be moving on.

"One of best ways through to a tough contact is to approach via their weaknesses, and that's exactly why you did today, m'boy."

"I-… I did?"

"Maruyama's daughter is very dear to him, I should have thought of using her to get to him."

Jin looked up at his grandfather, confused. Heihachi laughed and shook his head.

"Ah, Jin, still so young. Well, never you mind. You did well today. The festival goes on all week though, so I expect you back out tomorrow at the same time, understood?"

"Yes, Ojiisama."

By Friday, Jin was exhausted. He was tired of niceties and tired of pleasantries and tired of talking to important people. He'd been helping run the festival all week and was worn down now. The festival finished earlier on Friday, at about seven thirty. Heihachi immediately had to jet off somewhere, leaving Jin dead on his feet with the estate to himself.

Still, Jin was determined to keep holding himself properly, and walked sedately through the mansion even after all the festivities were over and the guests departed. He dressed himself in a fine evening kimono and informed the staff he would take supper in one of the dining rooms overlooking the gardens. He was glad to be home after traipsing around the meadow all day. Home. He wasn't sure when the mansion had become that to him. He did feel at ease though. These dark, stately halls were his. He liked their minimalist décor and solemn beauty. Even Kuma mostly kept out of his way now, apparently finally registering Jin as a fixture in his life.

Jin walked through corridors blue with evening, until he came to the dining room. It was dark out, but with the bug net frames drawn across the open doorways, he could still enjoy the fresh breeze and the murmuring of wildlife beyond.

As he sat down to eat, Fujita entered, carrying a box. He bowed to Jin and set it on the table.

"A gift arrived for you while you were out today, Master Jin."

Jin frowned. The box was a sleek, holographic black, and tied with a black silk ribbon. A small white card was trapped beneath the ribbon. Jin slipped it out and slit open the envelop with a finger. Inside was a note, handwritten in beautiful calligraphy:

To the most-esteemed Kazama Jin,

With my sincerest gratitude,

Maruyama Gentaro

Jin set the card down and tugged on the ribbon. It came away and he opened the box. Within, set in a dark, velvet interior, was a beautiful pair of sports sunglasses. Jin gasped a little before he could school his responses. He reached for the glasses and drew them out. He turned them around in his hands. They were vastly more beautiful than the pair he'd given to the little girl. He put them on. They fitted perfectly. The instantly darker world felt safer, easier to navigate, a screen between him and everything that tried to touch him.

He took the glasses off and set them reverently to one side. A grin was on his lips. He hid it quickly when he saw Fujita was still in the room.

"Well deserved, I think, Master Jin," Fujita said, and the old butler gave him something like a small smirk before he departed.

Jin gaped at him. He'd never seen the man so much as smile before. And since when had Fujita stopped calling him 'young master'?

Jin turned slowly to his food. There was no meat present in the meal, he realised. And actually, hadn't the staff been handing him food without meat as he ran the festival all this week? He wondered at that. He ate slowly, eyes still fixed on the sunglasses. The world finally felt more navigable, and like there was a clearer place in it where Kazama Jin could fit.