Chapter 3: A Humble of Romance

Back at SMDC Mezza II Residences, the sound of water from the shower can be heard. It reveals that both Jin and Hwoarang had finally removed their disguises. Jin was seen removing the make up on his face using the make-up remover wipes given to him by Rhima so that to clean up his face while sitting on their bed and all its left of his clothing was just his black briefs. He gets the wet towel coming from the bowl of water and he laundied the towel with soap and he squeezes it and rubs his entire body up to his legs to clean himself as he thought about how his mother Jun was saddened to see Rhima's family are complete.

When mother had seen Rhima hugged her parents and they are a complete family, she was crying. I think she had dreamed of having a complete family just like Rhima is. But it never happened because Kazuya and I were mortal enemies and she hates conflict. That is why he and I we purified ourselves by erasing both Azazel and the Devil Gene so that it is no longer existed within us. I accepted both Lars and Lee are my uncles and I never acknowledge Kazuya as my father. I feel sorry for mother... If only my dream is to have a complete family just like her rather than guarding our home island in Yakushima. It would be enough for me to settle things down.

Rhima arrives to see him and gives him some fresh clothes after what happened.

"Here some clothes, Jin..."

"Thank you, Rhima-san..." Jin smiled thankfully and Rhima was happy to see him until she hurts her wounded right knee.

"Oww... my right knee..."

"Just sit beside me, Rhima-san... I'll get you some first aid." Jin said as he gets his white shirt to be hanged on his right shoulder and gets his blue shorts and he stood up and he put his shorts on. He finally put on his white shirt and goes to get some first aid.

Rhima was relieved to see that both of them had saved her just in time after the Drag Queen performance at O Bar. Jin arrives with the first aid kit and he tried to treat her wounded knee.

"Hold still... it's gonna sting."

Rhima tries not to feel the pain on her wounded knee when Jin put alcohol on the cotton round to clean it up. Then, he put some wounded cream and some two band aid strips to cover the wound and it was done.

"You should be careful next time, Rhima-san." Jin said and he remembers as how he treated her injuries before they were together. "It reminds me as how I treated you from your sprained ankle when I give you some cold compress. That is when you try to run away from me. Then we go for an outing and that's how we started to fall in love with each other."

Rhima remembers about the time he takes her to the beach until Hwoarang arrives to see them in a towel and complimented about the condo unit they had stayed.

"Your condo unit was very nice. I kinda like living here rather than the old man's place."

"Thanks for the compliment, Hwoarang." Rhima said nicely as he faces his rival Jin in smirk.

"And Jin... you were so lucky that you live with Rhima at her condo unit. The shower from her bathroom was pretty good and I feel so refreshed. You should try it..."

"..."

"Anyway... thanks for lending me your clothes, Jin. I will be a nerve wreck if I ended up running away, naked." Hwoarang said in a calm tone and soon returns to the bathroom to put some clothes on as he thought.

He was very talkative if he was not fighting. He loves to compete me when it comes to an actual fight.

The next day, both of them had cooked for their breakfast as the doorbell rings as Hwoarang tried to open the door to see Brian who brought up some noodles at his noodle house along with some Korean food.

"Old man... why are you here?"

They eat breakfast and Hwoarang enjoys eating some instant Korean noodle soup since Brian knows how Koreans are eating their food.

"I'm glad you visit us, Mr. Navarro... It was the right timing." Rhima said calmly and Brian replies.

"Hwoarang just contacted me about what happened last night. So I decided to visit to your place today."

"Those bastards won't stop at nothing but to kill Rhima. That really pisses me off." Hwoarang said negatively about the mafia group and Brian reveals of why he visited Rhima's condo unit.

"The reasons that I'm here because Benzon and one of his men from his Task Force group are here in CCP. And it looks like it was their very first rehearsal of the beauty pageant of Miss Global 2016."

"Looks like we're going back to that place." Jin said while he eats some noodles.

"Yes, and we have someone to watch the rehearsals."

At the CCP, all the girls including the disguised Rhima are rehearsing. All the boys are watching backstage and Jin sees Andrew who is happy.

"You keep seeing Rhima like that."

"No... uhm... your girlfriend was perfect when she disguises as Corey and it reminds me as how she had wished to become a beauty queen if she participates this." Andrew said nervously and Jin gives him a gloomy look and goes to his rival Hwoarang.

"So this Benzon guy... is Rhima's rival in real-life... He's like other guys on the old man's street." Hwoarang said pointing out on him as Jin confirms.

"Yes... he is... it's not just fighting but between intelligence."

"So it's battle of the brains..." Hwoarang commented about their rivalry between the brains and Jin whispers to his ear.

"Yes... and he also had no abs like us."

Hwoarang was shocked when Jin whispers about Benzon had no abs and he giggles after learning of this.

"Really? That guy has no abs..."

"Rhima knows that... if you were there when we had a one week vacation in that Boracay island. You'll see him had no abs." Jin smiled while he giggles and Hwoarang laughs.

"Hahaha... now that's ridiculous... We can show our arrogance that we have abs than he is."

As soon as the rehearsals are done, they noticed that the disguise Rhima is with the other contestants to have a break. At the balcony, Rhima thinks what she can do after masquerading as Corey. She felt upset because she can lie to anyone while the latter was currently kidnapped. She removes her wig and lowers her head as she thought.

Forgive me, Corey... While you were missing, I did my best to masquerade as you. I do this to lure your enemies into my trap and that's what a genius like myself can do.

"Rhima-san, so you stayed here at the balcony, alone..."

"I already know what to do in the practice. I'm just worried for myself when I disguised as Corey. It's like I was lying to everyone to think as me." Rhima said sadly and Jin remembers he was like this when he loses his devil powers."

"I was like that when I lost my devil powers. That is when I tried practicing Karate, alone..."

Rhima gazes at him as she looked away because of his handsome look. Jin eventually sees her as he smiles.

"You keep looking away from me because of my good looks. Other girls are crazy over me when I briefly studied at the Mishima Polytechnic until I first met you."

"I'm a little nervous whenever you get close to me. Since our six months of separation, I screwed up a lot and I blame you for ruining my everyday life. And now... we always see each other." Rhima said while she gives him a smile on her face.

Jin gets closer to her and hugged her amorously knowing he misses her so much.

"When we got separated, I really missed you so much until you came to my world, you were so mad at me. But now that I'm here in your world, I'm not gonna stop loving you."

Rhima touches his right cheek which he feels her warmth while closing his eyes and calmly states.

"Your behavior hasn't changed and like Xiaoyu says, you're the same old you who is a good person."

"You think that I'm the old me..." Jin said nicely until she commented about his face.

"Yeah... but you have skin impurities on your face."

Jin was surprised when she commented about his face which he retorts while raising his brow.

"I don't have skin impurities on my face, Rhima-san... How did you know?"

"When I touched your right cheek, it was rougher and I think you got a lot of pores on your face." Rhima answered pointing out on his face. Jin touches his right cheek and confirming she was right and he had thought.

She was right about me having skin impurities on my face. I always fighting at my world and I had no time to take care of myself. Xiao and the others didn't noticed that I have those and they still think of me that I still had a clear face.

"I think Mrs. Kazama didn't noticed that too. It's pretty weird for everyone not noticing your pores on your face." Rhima said nicely and gives him some facial skin tips. "You need to take care of your face is the most important even as a girl like me just to maintain my clean face. You should too and you might take a facial somewhere to take those pores out."

"Thanks for the tip, Rhima-san... I've never seen you easily noticed something about my face." Jin said thankfully while he handling his right cheek and he soon kisses her in the lips and smiles. "The only thing I missed was kissing you and I've been waiting for a very long time to do this."

Rhima looked on his brown eyes and knowing that he really loves her and she gives her a smile on him.

At Thompson's Square, they are gathered by Brian when Rei, Mariana and Reagan arrive to see them.

"This is the map location where Ms. Corey Yeun was currently being held captive at the Pier near Navotas Fisheries Port. According to the intel that Mark Shang had left to Singapore to do his dirty work and leaving his right-hand man, Kai Cho to execute the imposter."

"The imposter was Rhima because both her and Corey had the exact same look and which cause a confusion between them." Rei said and he looked at both Jin and Andrew. "In fact, these two men are having some confusion over their looks."

"In that case, we need to infiltrate that pier in order to rescue her. I knew all of the Tekken fighters are known to take down soldiers with an ease." Brian said wanted to take the mafia down.

"Since Gamboa and his task force are about to take action including the rest of you, Ms. Panganiban needs to be protected from the mafia group and I'm sure she will be targeted from getting killed." Reagan said telling them about Benzon's mission with his task force group.

"If you people want to rescue Corey, I do..." Andrew said finally standing up to join with them. "I'll take Jin's place to go with you because I want to rescue my girlfriend, Corey. Jin has to rescue his own girlfriend too."

"It's all on me... My friends and loved ones are always depending on me to save and protect everybody and that's why I'm able to survive." Jin said in a serious tone and he allows Andrew to go with them. "You can have in my place."

"Hey Kazama... you have a lot of guts to back out with us." Hwoarang grunted on his rival's decision.

"Just in case if our enemy is mainly focus on Rhima-san. That's why I decided to protect her at any costs."

"I think Jin wants not to make any confusions." Brian stated and tells Reagan. "You might even contact Ibrahim to join with us... And this is our first start for this rescue mission."

Reagan agreed in a nod to contact Ibrahim and he had thought about this situation.

This mission will be risky... Hoping we can succeed this.

Trivia:

*When Jin treats Rhima's injuries, it was the same scene in the very first The Strangest Things fic.

*The scene where Brian gave them noodles is from his crossover appearance in my fic "Powers and Fists: The Secrets of the Pandora's Box".

*Jin is revealed to have pores on his right cheek which was visibly seen on his character ending where you can see half of his face in a close-up.

*The background of his character ending was played when both Jin and Rhima had a romantic private conversation between them.

*The title of this chapter is play on one of the chapters in Tekken 8 Story Mode which is "A Humble Beginnings".