And this is it. Final chapter. I hope you liked the ride.
In the crib, there lay a child. Black hair, blue eyes, quiet like the nearby forest.
Juri continued to observe the baby and brushed some strands of hair away from her face. Something settled over Juri upon looking at the child; her child. Such a thought never ceased to be surreal. No, she was not domestic, but she didn't need to be. Spiders had spiderlings too. So, the monster within her lay dormant and moved for different purposes now.
It didn't move aimlessly through the world for once.
Juri recalled that she had been traveling the globe throughout her adult life. From the bustling cities like San Francisco to the northern, most desolate frigid pockets of Greenland. She had seen a little bit of everything. But she never stopped to take in the feel of each place she set foot in, to really stop and admire the regions she visited and observe their people.
For her, it was always about the hustle, never the fact that she could drink coffee in smokey Parisian cafes or enjoy pastries in the heart of Copenhagen. It never occurred to her now. Travel was a leisure, she realized now. And she could look at the past with fond absence instead of avoidant necessity.
It occurred to her how peaceful the world was when she could live outside its gloomy underbelly. Good and bad in equal measure. Fair in its general indifference. So it came to its citizens to make do with what they had. Juri had embraced that fact long ago but never through the lens of peace. It used to be terrifying with how it filled her with a sense of serenity she couldn't remember ever encountering. It came with all its strengths and weaknesses.
It was okay. All of her was okay.
When she looked at her child, she understood this. To feel physically. To feel ethereally. It all came so naturally to her now. It came without shame, fear, or guilt. In the peace and quiet of this gentle morning, she reminded herself that she had nothing to be ashamed of.
Like teased by an invisible breeze, the infant began to fuss. Brows pinched together with little yelps. Never quite ear-piercing. The little one had adopted her mother's reticence. Juri picked the baby up from the crib and cradled the child in her arms, making her way to the washroom. Afterward, with a clean child in her hands, she walked across the tatami floor towards the raised dais to enjoy the sunrise and watch the heavy morning mist settle by the trunks of trees, neatly reflected in a nearby pond.
For the last few months, she had woken up to the same trees. Monotonous for some but irenic for Juri. A cat from somewhere within the house came to brush itself against her leg and she lifted her foot to scratch its back for a bit. Not a Bengali. Just an orange cat Ken had affectionally dubbed Risi. Because pasta. Of course.
This abode was located in Osaka, a ward of Tokyo. Apparently, it was here where Ken grew up as the place they now lived in once belonged to his mother – and Juri's mother-in-law. Apparently, it was his family heirloom, which he maintained and stayed in whenever he came from America.
Now it was his home. Their home. Home felt right this time.
It was early morning with the sun hanging low across the sky. Its light cast thin ribbons between the trees and down the rippling water. Juri made it to the dais when the baby began to blabber and utter like any infant would, gentling down when she got a finger to hold.
Out in the courtyard, Ken was busy with training. The sweat glistened off his bare torso while he ran a hand through his hair, sweeping it back. He kept its black color. Rich and darker than the dye. Black as his bushy eyebrows. As the deepest night. And it quite suited him. He hadn't shaved in a while, sporting a prominent stubble. He said he liked it like that.
Of course, he had gotten the tendency of rubbing his jaw against Juri's neck at night. She couldn't get mad at him when he'd do that – even if it itched. He spotted her by the veranda and did a slow jog to her side, eyes landing on the baby.
"Hey there, sweetheart," he took her into his arms, lips stretched wide with paternal pride. As usual, he made it his mission to make the child giggle and succeeded every time, pulling silly faces or making ridiculous noises.
They had settled into a nice routine since the birth of Min-Ji, named after her maternal grandmother. She was a sound sleeper so mornings were easy; one would take care of her while the other indulged in an hour of selfishness to maintain his or her body. In hindsight, Juri had worried for nothing.
Noise had been her biggest stressor before the due date but Ken had assured her of his everlasting support. There were times early in the process when she sensed some anger in him. Anger over almost losing the child. It had dissipated as Juri grew rounder and they left Nayshall forever. They never quite discussed at length about what could have been.
That included Min-Ji's hypothetical nonexistence. Ken had forgiven Juri for that. That included his attempt at his own life. She had forgiven him for that. She forgave herself for being angry.
Best not to open old scars. Nine months could do a lot to a person, and Ken had spent that time slowly putting himself back together, piece by piece. Juri, possibly the least qualified person to do this, had helped him through it. As it turned out, it was exactly what he needed to feel like himself again, to not feel like a latent disappointment. To accept that there was a chance Mel would stay away.
At one point, the roles had been reversed when Juri spoke of JP's visions. Didn't feel nice, just relieving afterwards. She could live with that, store it in the old memory bank. Accept that it was but a reflection of her own anxiety. Accept it as part of her.
Juri could live without ever hearing about JP again too. The old man had vanished into the ether following the tournament. Still at large. Hopefully gone forever.
Gone forever. Like the Feng Shui Engine. It had degraded and caused such havoc on Juri's eye that she was rendered blind in one eye. That took some getting used to.
She could fight without it.
Ken scooting closer to her and rubbing his jaw against her bare shoulder, brought her back to the present.
"Ugh," she shuddered at the itch but not fighting back. "I hate your face, you steel sponge."
He held his position but was ever so mindful of the child in his arms. "I love yours, honey."
Juri could only sigh and Ken took this victory and ran with it. He huffed out a soft, gentle laugh and sounded so charmed – charming – that it was hard to stay annoyed with his antics for much longer than a moment. How could she when she felt this good? Certainly not when her streak of mischief had rubbed off on him. Especially not when he kissed her, long and deep, smiling against her lips – and she licked his.
He sat back with a chuckle to watch Min-Ji coo a little more and boop her nose. He looked so content with life, without the added weight of people pulling pieces of him to keep for themselves. Juri empathized with his loss, she truly did. But her emotions were conflicting, battling between grieving on his behalf and selfishly indulging in having Ken, all of him, for herself – filling that void with something to fight for. She did it for him, as she did it for herself – and now their child.
"I think the little one is getting hungry," Ken mused when the little one began to fuss, gingerly passing the infant to her mother. "I'll get the bottle."
Right. Juri recalled how horribly awkward it had been the first time when she attempted the feed. Bottles were a godsend and now it was just routine. Only took a week of training. That and Ken being so gentle in the process, careful, protective, kind, patient. He had done this song and dance before after all, returning shortly after with the bottle that he shook lightly.
"You're doing so well," he purred as he handed the bottle over, sat down, and rested his head on his hand, elbow resting on his knee. His grin widened and the whites of his teeth contrasted the darkened warmth in his eyes while he watched a blush creep over Juri's neck and ears, staring at her and the child like his most precious treasure.
It was one hell of a distraction from the perpetual awkwardness that washed over Juri. Underneath was a strange sense of completion that almost shocked her the first time. She recalled the nurse talking about it, the sense of bonding that came from a mother caring for her child. Min-Ji fed herself quietly but slowly and it began to feel as if time itself had come to a crawl. The one disruption to that was Ken shifting until he sat behind her, hands on her waist, holding her like she was made from glass.
They both knew she wasn't but the little one was not as sturdy. Still, Juri leaned against him with Ken's head resting on her shoulder as he occasionally kissed her skin with soft, fluttering touches. He hummed, then ran his hands up and down her waist, resting his chin in the gap between her shoulder and neck. Always so touchy in the mornings, at night, randomly. But Juri had long since grown tolerant, then appreciative of the gestures.
Which she was today – also, settling into the warm sturdiness of his body. She wished she had a third arm to brush a palm down the curve of his spine, past fading scars, and marred skin. Past that keloid from the bolthead. Grateful that there would be none of those anymore.
Eventually, Min-Ji had fed herself to satiation, settling well into her mother's arms. It wouldn't be long before she'd have her first nap. Ken scooted back, heading back inside for a wet cloth, and wiped the infant's mouth clean while Juri went to clean the bottle. The cloth landed over his shoulder while he held the baby upright, chest to chest for the purpose of burping.
It had initially freaked Juri out, especially when she did it the first time and Min-Ji had thanked her by burping up stomach content all over her back. Normal behavior, Ken had said after he nearly rolled on the floor laughing before helping with cleaning the mess. She could have punched him in the face then, she was so mad. Nowadays, they laughed it off. Juri more so when it became Ken's turn.
This morning proved fortuitous as Min-Ji burped just fine and settled comfortably against his father while Ken looked towards Juri and smiled with parental joy. At all hours of the day, no matter where he was on the emotional spectrum, his eyes almost remained enchantingly vibrant. Kaleidoscopic with different hues of blue. Min-Ji had inherited those.
Gorgeous all the same.
"I don't mind the whiskers by the way," Juri sighed as she stood up to reclaim the sagging baby, looking at the child's eyes rapidly blinking.
"Glad to hear it. Neither does she," Ken laughed while he offered a finger for Min-Ji to hold. "Isn't that right? Yeah, you got better taste than Mommy. You wouldn't mind a full beard, right?"
"Oh please," Juri rolled her eyes, dreading the day when Ken would wander around with a full-on beard. "I'll put her down before she starts agreeing with you."
With the child in her arms, Juri sauntered across the tatami floor, past sliding doors and sliding screens until she reached the crib and eased the baby down onto the mattress, remaining by her side while she floated between states. Her bright blue eyes locked onto her mother and more cooing emerged at the hand that brushed against the top of her head.
When Juri looked at her child, she felt many things. She saw a lot too. She saw herself; someone who grew up under the care of the greatest people and then lost it all including her innocence. Often, she'd try to let go of that fear, that sense of possible déjà vu, and failed. In hindsight, that was a good thing and it made Juri smile a little. That would be her motivator.
So when Min-Ji was on the precipice of sleep, Juri squatted in front of the crib's bars and spoke earnestly to the child. "I hope you get to do better than I did. The least I can do is to help with that. Although with a father like Ken, I'd say your chances are high. Good luck, kiddo."
Faint noises outside caught her attention, and she quietly left the nursery, making her way to the courtyard. It became apparent that the sound was footsteps. Steady yet loud over the gentle serenity of their surroundings. Ken noticed it too as he stood in the courtyard and stared down the walkway to the front gate that was densely packed in foliage when Juri peered from the inside.
And through the greenery stepped a face, modestly familiar. Juri had seen this man before. Same red headband, same determined gaze, same white outfit, although he walked bare-chested now. He also got shoes on for once. And a full beard. What was his name again? Oh, right. It was-
"Ryu…" Ken uttered in disbelief and the man nodded, relief filling his eyes. His transparent emotional cadence was as vibrant as Ken's.
Juri was a little guilty to admit that she couldn't quite recall Ryu's appearance as well, given how much Ken talked about their time as students, their journeys, and the growth of their friendship.
"There you are. I had a feeling I'd find you here," Ryu spoke gently while his entire beard moved upwards to a smile. Despite his calmness, the excitement in his eyes was apparent.
Contrast to Ken, who simply shuffled uncomfortably on his feet like he was ashamed of himself. "Yeah…a lot has happened. I…"
"I know. I…well, talking is not my strong suit," Ryu deflated a notch with guilt. "I think we both know that. I wish I could…"
Then silence while the worst of past regrets and remorse floated somewhere between resolving and lingering.
"Save it. It's fine. You're here now. And I'm better," Ken waved him off, closed the distance between them, and stretched his arm out, fist clenched. Ryu met the gesture with a similar motion, bumping his fist against Ken's.
Accordingly, this had been a ritual of theirs since childhood. It had sounded so corny to Juri's ears when she first heard of it but when she watched their interaction, she indeed could buy into and feel the unbreakable bond between the two. It was admirable. The laundry list of Ken's friend circle and their qualities wasn't so off-putting now. Chun-Li would be over the moon when she'd see Min-Ji. Cammy would probably never leave Risi alone.
"Wanna do a sparring match? For old-time's sake? Think I can better talk to you through my fists," Ken offered as he livened up. It was like an infection, spreading to Ryu who got this fire in his eyes; the type of which only people like him would get.
He smiled again and positioned himself in a fighting stance and Ken mirrored his actions. Suppose this would be a long morning. Fascinated, Juri padded out on the porch and sat down. She should probably consider making some breakfast, but she'd rather not miss out on the excitement of watching Ken fight.
Sparring match or not, seeing the man in his element was always a treat. Actually taking him on head-on was nigh impossible. For now, it was okay, Juri concluded. Risi came climbing onto her lap and purred while she stared at the two men like mirror images of each other, eyes lingering on Ken. How good he looked when at peace, how he deserved the best, how much she loved him.
Openly admiring Ken had become quite easy these days, even in his downtrodden periods, and during those times, she'd cover him in kisses. Funny a man of such strength softened so gently under her affection.
At some point, it must have occurred to Ryu that there was an audience because his body loosened and he turned his head to look at the entrance of the house, eyes wide. Not quite triggering the fight or flight response but still slightly on edge.
"Yo," Juri waved at the pair. "Don't mind me, I'm just watching. My money is on Ryu by the way. But Kensei, I might reward you if you win. Like I'll take the diapers for a week."
Ryu stood mildly amused while Ken laughed wholeheartedly. He turned his head towards her, fiery determination burning in his eyes to make her proud. "Thanks for the cheerleading, dear. I'll hold you to that."
Juri hummed in satisfaction. Her insides always bubbled with mirth he called her that – and honey and sweetheart. And muffin when he wanted to be silly. So sugary, it was like verbal diabetes, but Juri liked it for its sincerity.
She liked the feeling of rightness for having this. Spider or not, she too deserved a place to call home. It was fine, she concluded as the match began. Despite it all, she had won in life.
Congratulations.
And that's it! Hurray, you made it! And if you did, thank you so much for sticking around!
I hope you enjoyed it.
Peace out!✌️