Tekken 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Tekken, Asuka nor Lili does not belong to me. If it did, I would totally make them canon. All of them belong to their respectful creators.  
**

_**A/N: This is just a note for the people who've read my first AsuLili fanfic, Love Gas. Some of the things there intersects here but only on minor occassions, but they are not at all related or connected. This story is set in a different timeline and is more connected to the games than Love Gas.**_  
_**For those who haven't read love gas yet, feel free to do so. ^^**_  
_**Also, aside from my OTP AsuLili, I've decided to also join them with my hetero OTP Jin and Xiayou. I hope you enjoy the story.**_

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**1) Something I should've realized**

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There was a loud horning that came nearer to the station of an abandoned subway. The place was crawling with insects and dirty mud water. The walls were barely walls anymore as their castings have been riffed off, revealing the wood and steel under concrete.

It's only source of light was a blinking fluorescent led light above the only person in that subway.

The person was covered in a gray hooded cloth, not moving or reacting to the incoming horns and ray of light from the deep unseen cavern of the subway.

An old rusting gray colored train arrived momentarily. The train's wheels squeaked hard on the railings creating so much friction that bits of electric fire flies out to the platform. The quick run of the train made it hard to stop fast and took a lot of half breaks before it completely ceased to move.

The train had fluttered plastics and paper with its sheer speed, causing them to fall back to the floor once the wind vanished. Crumpling and scratching sounds of the sheets were filling up the audio in the subway.

The person standing walked close to the doors of the train. The person was a girl, walking in heeled boots colored in white. She stood patient for the doors to open and let her in.

First there were clunking's followed by metal brushing; the gray doors that had tainted cracked windows open mildly with constriction. The door that the girl had chosen to stand upon wasn't able to fully open. The double door metal stopped midway its limit, too narrow for even someone as slim as this girl to enter.

The hooded girl waited for the door to widen forgetting that there was a limit to how long they would say opened. All the other doors except that one was open but the girl was lazy to travel to another door.

A circular light above each door blinked three times in a row, signaling that the train is about to leave. The girl kicked the door in front of her before running the second closest entrance.

Inside the old train was an even pathetic look than the subway station. There were harldy any chairs safe to sit on while the safe ones were really dirty. The suspended seats were washed from their original color blue and have now faded to dirty white.

Disgusted and uncomfortable, the girl chose to stand holding nothing inside the train. It took all her balance to not sway and fall off to the horrible floor filled with rust and dried sediments of what seemed like vomit and blood.

The train enters another cavern of the subway, making everything pitch black inside the train. The girl was slowly losing balance as the train's deadly speed remained upgrading good thing it didn't take long before it slowed down again to stop.

The girl runs out of the door with all her might, landing on the new station coughing the bad air inside the train. This station unlike the first was much more maintained. The floors weren't made of missing debris tiles and actually looked cleaned. The walls were still concrete and painted in light yellow cream. Lights were on everywhere and there benches to sit and wait for.

An open space by the right of where the girl was standing came out a man who was wearing fatigue pants and a black sleeveless shirt. His muscles created form in his clothes and his hair was up and spiky blue. The girl wouldn't have known of his approaching if his boots didn't sound so heavy in the floor.

"Platinum Grace?" the man had a strict expression in his face. His arms are crossed showing the bare of his big biceps.

The girl held her hood and slowly took it off. Washed blonde hair flowed to her shoulders as she continued to toss away her cover. She tightened the lock of her gloves before waving some of her hair to the back and performing a curtsey.

"In the flesh" She said, lingering her accent of French sophistication.

The man was impressed now; his eyes looked up and down on the girl, blushing as he saw her wink at him. "The battle is this way." He starts to walk without waiting for the girl, but he tries to keep a slow pace to not leave her.

The girl follows him without a complaint looking around the area. They were walking deeper to the subway station, a place where a big staircase going downwards was hidden by a floor door.

The man bends down to open the door for the girl, he stretches his hand to give the girl support but the girl refuses.

"I can do this myself." She walks down so confidently to the hidden battle ring.

The room was fairly big, composing the whole underground of that station. The girl was able to catch on an ongoing fight in the ring. The fighters were inside a circle barricaded with nothing but only its slight elevation from the ground.

The judge's panel sat adjacent to the ring. In any round shape, there was no front or back but since professional brawls had judges to choose a winner. Wherever the judges was facing was where the fighters will constantly be moving, creating the substitute front of the ring.

A bell rang to end the battle, declaring a bald man to be the winner. The girl laughed to herself, mocking how easy it will be to put a bald to sleep.

The referee for the battle waved his hand for the girl to come to the ring now. The girl obeyed and jumped up with ease to reach the ring's platform.

A new fighter was called from the shadows on the dark side of the room. A man filled with skull and gore tattoo's climbed himself up with lifting his body from the lower floor with his hands. He stood up and rubbed the dust away in his palms.

The man looked menacingly at his opponent, seeing the blonde girl standing so girly made him laugh to his lungs.

"What an abhorring laugh you have." The blonde stated with a distasteful stare at the man.

The man instantly roared like an animal and readied his fists. His nose were puffing smoke, his veins were embossing through his skin. "You little Bitch!" He was still steady on his position, but his feet were shaking with excitement to take hold of the girl's body and rip it off to pieces. "I' ma show you what happens to little shitty girls who think they can talk so lowly of men!"

The blonde didn't give a reaction at all, her face was expressionless and even when she was being cursed the blonde merely cracked a grin at the man.

Two bells rang, and that meant the start of the fight. The man shouted as he launched forward to his enemy. His right arm stretches rapidly to the girl's chest. Mili-seconds, it only took that little amount of time for the girl to counter attack him.

Using the man's arm as her launcher, the blonde was able to jump high into the ceiling. Her opponent looked up and saw her coming down.

_All men are the same._

Before the man could see more of what heaven is under skirts, the girl had landed her boots on his face. The heels of her boots sunk to the face of the man, stumping her feet harder and harder, eventually her opponent fell asleep to the ground.

Depraving the man of air path, and creating unfathomable tremor of stress in the most sensitive muscles of the face was the reason for the girl's victory.

As she took her prize placed inside a white envelope, the girl ripped the envelope and wrote something.

Leaving the letter on top of the man's face, the girl continued off with her prize on her hands.

The medics who helped the man to the stretcher saw the note on his face.

_Not all men are lowly, just you._

The medics laughed before they placed the letter inside the man's pocket, making sure he'll read it after he wakes up.

The girl took a flight home to her mansion of a house. The girl's hometown was situated at the heart of Monaco, a sovereign city state located on the French Riviera at Western Europe.

Unlike the train junk that she rode before, she was now inside of a fancy limousine.  
Having her own butler and her own driver.

Her own maids opens the gate for her, opens the front door for her, and soon one maid tells her that her father is waiting for her.

The girl sighed as she walked slowly to her father's office inside their mansion. She wished that her father is in a good mood today.

Two men stood outside a tall double oak door, wearing black suits and shades. The girl merely said "Open" for the men to bow at her before opening the door.

The room was big, and spacious. It had a mezzanine that acted as a mini library and cabinets of gold in every wall. A giant chandelier was hanging from the center of the dome ceiling with frescoes of painting. Below it, tattooed at the bronze marble floor was the biggest logo of the Rocherfort Oil Companies.

Hiding behind the darkness at the end of the room, the lone table that can be seen inside had a man seating in front of it.

A snapping sound was heard before a light opens, revealing a tall, blonde man at a comfy executive chair. He wore a tuxedo with maroon glistening jackets and slacks. Under it, he had a black vest partnered with a red necktie. His one foot was above the other, showing his black Berluti shoes which is famous for being very expensive.

Carefully, the man set down the remote he was holding. He raised his head up and made his visitor come to the center of the Rocherfort logo.

"Emilie" He stated in a calm voice. "I do not get how you find this fighting of yours to be so much of an enjoyment."

The girl who's been used to this reprimand only had a tinge of sadness about her father finding out. She has never been afraid of her father, for the man was a kind person who would never punish his daughter aside from grounding her in the house.

"It's only because you don't try to understand it daddy. You are very subjective to the arts of fighting being all brutal and violent. It is not daddy; I have never acted violent out of the rings."

The girl's father looked at her with a lost sight, he didn't know how to control his daughter anymore, and she had come to love this hobby of hers to the point of even fighting with him. Mr. Rochefort is a pacifist, a person who treats violence as unjustifiable. He had always wished to render the perfect family of sophistication and elegance, giving nothing less to his one and only child and daughter.

"There is nothing that fighting has ever done good Emilie, it is the start of wars, loses and hatred. Knowing how my little girl delves in them is my most prominent source of apprehension."

Mr. Rochefort played with a pen in his hand; the cap flew down to the floor as his finger slid it off from the tension building in his heart.

"But I am perfectly fine in that world daddy, if you would just watch me once in a battle. I will show you how fit I am to fight."

Mr. Rochefort's hand turned into a fist; he slammed it to his desk, making his daughter surprised.

"I cannot even imagine you doing kicks or punches Lili, how do you think that I would want to see you in a real fight?"

"It's my one and only hobby daddy, can you not show me more support?"

"Why couldn't it be swimming or playing the piano, the violin, gymnastics, dancing, and singing! You can do all of those Emilie, but why does it have to be fighting? The most inelegant of all?"

Without hesitation, the girl lifted her hands, perpendicular to her chest. She jumped up and twirled in the air before landing back easily on her feet.

"Was that inelegant daddy? It wasn't right? It's like gymnastics and dancing but a whole lot better"

The girl had a smile on her face now, trying hard to convince her father.

"No, Lili, you always do everything too elegantly." Mr. Rochefort couldn't help but to smile back to his daughter's warm, convincing smile. "I'm sorry my princess, I am the one at fault. If only I had saved you in time when you were kidnapped back then, you would never have learned to fight."

"I have and will never blame you daddy, I always thought it was faith that I'll learn how to fight."

The blonde father shakes his head, hating how much his daughter was so good with words to compromise him. Mr. Rochefort pushed his chair away from the table and stood up from sitting. He walked to his daughter and gave her a peck in the cheeks before embracing her.

The girl who loved no one more in the world but her father embraced him back with more passion and force. Mr. Rochefort felt the tightness of his daughters hug and tightened his own hold. The two of them laughed as they joked around with each other.

"Ok, you can let go now" Mr. Rochefort said to his daughter when it was getting hard to breathe from the tightness of her embrace. The girl immediately loosens her hands from her father's waist.

Mr. Rochefort placed his hands above the girl's shoulder, shaking her a bit. "So, where do you want to spend your summer vacation this year?"

The girl averted her eyes for a second before answering her father. "Japan"

Mr. Rochefort seemed surprised; this was the first time that Lili had asked to go to Japan. The girl never liked countries that only ate noodles. "This is a first, why do you want to go there?"

The girl bit her lip before taking something from the pocket of her white frilled dress.  
She takes out a ticket attached to a letter and shows it to her father.

"I won a free training there, and I would love you forever daddy, if you let me go"

Mr. Rochefort had a really hesitant look in his face. This was enough of a sign to his daughter that he wasn't going to let her go. Quickly, the girl tries harder to convince him.

"Please daddy, please, please, please" her lips were pouting like a child. Her hands clasped with her father's like in a praying position.

"…Ok, you can go" Mr. Rochefort finally said with a big lump on his throat. He wasn't approve of his daughter getting more training than it is but he also couldn't let his princess down when she was pleading to him so much. "I hate how much you make me do what you want" He stated poking his daughter at the middle of her nose.

The girl smiled wide and happy at her father, she kissed him in the cheek before saying bye and leaving the room.

Left alone again in his big office, Mr. Rochefort went back to his seat checking the stats of his business. He was very thankful that his daughter's trip was free since he didn't have that much of money anymore to bring her anywhere grand.

They were making through just fine with the little amounts of money they have left in the bank and other small sources of money.

The man was sunk in a deep depression for a long time, and only months ago were he able to handle things calmly again. It was thanks to his daughter that he could stand in situations so hard. So, as thanks to his biggest inspiration, he would let his daughter have what she wants, even if he does not approve it.

Mr. Rochefort sighed long and heavy before going through a list of numbers, asking different people to give him loans and another chance to have business with.

The last Saturday of March slates in the beginning of summer in Monaco. The blonde mistress of the mansion of Rochefort was ready with her luggage in the early morning of eight.

Her maids were already loading her stuff in the limousine as she stood in the front door saying her farewell to her daddy.

"I'm going to miss you daddy, you better take care of yourself. Don't get into anything that will depress you and whenever you feel lonely just call me and I will even go home if needed."

Mr. Rochefort laughed at his daughter's worrywart nature. He raised his hand in order to pat his big daughter's head. For a girl at the age of eighteen, Lili was very tall but not as tall as her father whose lips are just in the enough height to kiss her in the forehead.

"I'm a big man now Lili, now go and enjoy your vacation. Make friends not enemies"

The blonde father clenched his fist and raised only his index finger. He swung his finger back and forth, motioning a _don't_ gesture.

Lili nodded to her father and gave him a kiss. Mr. Rochefort kissed her in the cheek and embraced her tight before helping his daughter get inside the car.

One of the oldest employees of the Rochefort, a white haired man in a black tuxedo came close to Lili's father. "I will take good care of her, Sir."

Mr. Rochefort smiled at his loyal worker; he placed his hand on the pockets of his blazer and tapped the limousine. The car quickly moved, hearing the signal.

The white haired butler looked surprise as the limo left without him; his sir shifted his gaze from the car to him. Mr. Rochefort lifted his shoulders.

"She said she wanted to go alone."

"I see" The butler said, nodding to his sir.

"Let's go back inside, Sebastian." Mr. Rochefort, pointed his head to the front door and walked to its direction. The butler followed him and closed the doors behind them.

Arriving the next day at Japan due to a 15 hours flight, the girl was dizzy with the travel and didn't know where to go from the airport. She had two pink suitcases and a big pink backpack.

She tried her way with asking directions from the people in the airport but close to none were able to fully answer her in English so she had a real hard time.  
Scratching her head in defeat, she took the letter of guarantee from her backpack and called the number written below.

Her cellphone didn't work though since she didn't register for roaming. Out of ideas, she checked the map and saw that her destination was actually near from the airport.

Exiting the Kansai international airport, the girl was welcomed with the humid air coming from the ocean in front of it.

"So this is the land of the rising sun…how remote" the girl said to herself, making her way to the ferry station.

The Kansai airport was built at the middle of the ocean, a ferry awaits for passengers that will cross the ocean in order to take you to the island of Osaka.

The guarantee letter noted that a service will pick up the winner when he/she arrives at the ferry station of Osaka at nine in the morning.

The girl was on time with the said schedule and as stated, a mini-van was waiting for her in the shore.

Two guys wearing black pants and white top kimono immediately helped the girl with her luggage. The girl stared in horror as the guy's just tossed her expensive suitcases at the back of the van.

"Hey, those are branded!" she shouted at the two guys who raised an eyebrow at her. It would seem that they couldn't understand her English, especially when it's coated in her French accent.

The girl face palmed herself and just waved her hand to the air. "How do you even say stupid in Japanese?"

One of the guys bowed at her and pointed his whole hand to the door, asking Lili to come inside the car now. The girl refused the guy's offer to take her hand and help her get in. Upon sitting at the cushion of the car seat at the back, she sighed seeing how old and junk looking it was.

The guys spoke in loud Japanese words that the girl was unable to comprehend anything of. In a moment, the car started to move, a loud scratching sound always came when the car was turning left or right. The girl had to cover her ears with her hands, not just because of the scratching but also because of the horrible Japanese music that the car's radio was playing.

One hour of a gruesome ride is what it took before they stopped at their destination. The girl rapidly opened the door of the car and came out, breathing the tropical air of summer in Osaka, Japan.

Taking in all the fragrance she can inhale, the girl suddenly stopped smelling and covered her nose. Her face screamed disgusting.

"Ugh, this place stinks!" She yelled, surprising the guys who were getting her luggage off the car.

One of her suitcase fell to the ground, making the girl angrier than ever but before she could scold the guys responsible, a voice calls for her to stop.

"I don't think you need to do that" The voice came from a man who was wearing a whole black kimono.

The girl discontinued her plan, understanding the person since he was speaking in English. She faced the man and gave him the guarantee letter, almost slapping it to his hands.

The man still seemed calm even after being disrespected like that, he only seems confused. He read the letter given to him and looked back to the girl.

"I see, you're the winner of our free training program. Welcome to the K-Osaka Dojo. May I know your name?"

"Emilie De Rochefort, but you can call me Lili" The girl gave a small curtsy to the man who bowed his head at her.

He then changed his view to the two guys. He waved his hand outwards to them, signaling them to leave with the girl's stuff.

"I will bring you inside the dojo to meet your instructor." The man turned back, allowing the girl to follow him from behind.

Lili walked, looking around the area. She saw a lot of Japanese walking in nice suits or either cool fashion clothes.

_Well, at least these people know fashion…_

She stared at the kimono that the guys around the dojo were wearing; including the man she was following.

_Eww, I do not want to wear that!_

Carefully, she sneaked a peak on the man's face in front of her. He's face was shaped long and a bit square, he had a sharp chin and a sharp nose. His eyes were slinky brown almond shaped while his black hair was brushed heavily to the right side.

The girl surveyed him until he stopped walking and opened a sliding door for her.

"Please, come in" He says, waiting fot Lili to enter before him.

Mildly, the girl pokes her head first, scanning the area inside. It was full of men, everywhere was men. They were training or playing, and they all wore the martial arts kimono.

When the men inside saw the girl coming in, everyone stopped what they're doing and just looked at her. Immediately the girl knew this was going to be easy.

_Just look at them, bedazzled by my beauty at their first look. I will definitely make all these men bow down to me. All of them will worship me._

The girl gave a cute or rather seductive smile to everyone. It was to her greatest pleasure, as the men couldn't hide their complete temptation for her.

"So who is the lucky man that will spend all his days training with me alone, in your Tokyo branch, as stated in the letter?" Lili asked the man who's accompanied her inside.

"I'm sorry but I think we didn't say in the letter that your instructor will be a man."

"My instructor is a woman?" The girl asked, quite in shock.

"Yes, but not just any woman. Your instructor will be my daughter, considered the strongest girl here, and more known as the Kansai Peacemaker and gang mediator."

The girl had a really disappointed look in her face, _Considered as the strongest girl here? Let's see about that…_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for the first reviews and actually making this a favorite from the start! I promise to bring you the worth of your trust to me!**

AsukaEnergetic1: How could you find me so fast? ^^ hehe, I will fill you with more questions my friend :D

HarukoTan: Hello there! Thank you for telling me that my AsuLili stories are great, it really warms my heart.

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**2) Why does it have to be you!**

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Lili looked around the dojo, feeling a little bothered by all the men's eye on her. She couldn't take it anymore and stopped scanning with her eyes. Her face went back to the man who's accompanied her.

"So where is she? My Instructor?"

The man looked around the dojo himself, he didn't look around so much and stopped after a few glances in each wall.

"It seems like she's at the locker area since I can't see her anywhere."

"Where is the locker area?"

The man pointed the place with his index finger. It was at the very back of the dojo. There was a big wall opening at the right end of the back wall, curtains served as its door and a big placard with a kanji for rest was written.

"Can I go there now? I'm really excited to meet her."

The girl tried her best to look like she really wanted to go, even making slight puppy eyes to the man.

"It's fine by me, my daughters very nice with guests so you can go on."

The man nodded lightly at the girl while directing his whole hand to the locker area.

"Thank you" The girl curtseys to him once more.

When the girl looked back at the locker area, she realizes how long the distance it was from where she was standing. She can see that some of the guys in the dojo have resumed to whatever they were doing before.

But some were still focused on looking at her. Needless to say, she was used to this kind of affinity for her, but it is still bothersome.

As confidently as she could, she cat walked to the locker area. The yelling of "Hah!" every time a guy hits or kicks filled the noise of the place, aside from the common body hitting the floor or other wood parts sound.

Maybe it was the humid air of summer or the sweaty guys around her, it could also be the fact that the dojo is made all from wood, the girl felt uncomfortably hot as she walked inside the place.

Finally, she reached the curtain door of the locker area. Breathing out lightly and wiping the specs of sweat on her forehead, she swiped the curtain and went inside of the room.

Unlike the brown woody texture found in the whole dojo, this room was tiled with white and had white cement walls. The lockers were made of wood again, but they were lighter in color and had steels to support them as well as their locks.

Two long benches extended from end to end of the lockers that stood in three shelves, parallel to one another.

But aside from all the fixtures and furniture's, the room had no one inside.

The girl walked straight from where the entrance was and spoke lightly inside.

"Hello? Is somebody here?" Shifting her head from side to side, she continues to call out, louder every time. "Yohoo! Instructor? Come out, come out wherever you are"

As the room was fairly small, the girl had reached the other end of the wall in a short time. She rolled her eyes, irritated that she went here for nothing.

She looked straight at the entrance door and was planning to leave when she heard a small splashing sound by her right.

The girl followed where the sound was coming from. She saw behind the lockers at the right, that there were two more open walls.

The closest open wall to her had a long passage before you reach another door. The next open wall had no passage and directly a door would welcome you.

Lili tried to sharpen her ears and deduce on which door was the sound of splashing coming from. She placed her ears on the door out in the open and heard or saw nothing.

She smiled as she then walked to the door at the end of the long passage. The door was made of black glass, making you unable to see the inside.

But even when she can't see it, Lili could hear the splashing of water now. Her hand turned the long rectangular knob of the door, but of course, who would take a bath without locking the door?

The girl sighed, irritated again. She had a slight idea of just waiting for the person inside the shower to come out but that wouldn't fit her goal.

Lili's goal was to overthrow this woman from her title of being the strongest girl in the area. It was nothing but her greed and pride that pushed her to this goal.

Wherever it was, the girl wants the fight now.

She took something from the edge of her white skirt and raised it up to her face. It was a black simple hairpin.

The girl laughed evilly before she bent the hairpin into one straight stick. As quietly as she could, Lili plunged the now improvised pick lock into the door knob.

She checked at the silhouette body moving inside, making sure she isn't caught.  
The lock snaps and the successfully, Lili is able to turn the knob without a problem.

Now for the trickier part, as this ranging fighter sneaks inside of the shower, it was a very good thing that the room was big enough for her to walk behind the person taking a shower.

The water coming out of the shower was so heavy and hot, creating a big fog of smoke inside the shower. Neither of the two girls inside could see the other.

Doing her best to not get wet, Lili just stayed put at the back and watch the girl for a second. The image of the girl in the shower was pixelated behind the thick cascading waters and smoke.

Eventually as she had settled on her place, Lili began to spoke. She tried to be as soft and calm sounding, not wanting to surprise the girl...completely.

"So you're the strongest girl in this area?"

Lili saw how the girl's head that was bowed down suddenly rose up.

"I'm sorry to disturb you in your private time, but I'd like to have a duel…and-

The girl in the shower rapidly turned her body; Lili first caught a glimpse of the girl's naked body before her head rise up again to see a very, very, unexpected face.

"No way…Asuka Kazama?"

Lili's eyes were big and wide from horror. Her mouth hangs open and repeatedly her head shaked from side to side.

The other girl, Asuka looked like she also knew her, but she couldn't remember the girl's name.

"You? What are you doing here?"

Asuka asked, maybe a little too unperceptive of the situation she's in.

Lili didn't answer still under shock. The two girls looked at each other; the running water left open in the shower was the only sound inside the tight space they were in.

Lili didn't notice that her head was facing downwards to Asuka's body now. Her cheeks were blushing hard.

"You have big…" she begun to say in a hoarse tone

Asuka didn't need to hear the whole sentence, realized what was really happening.  
She back away, getting inside the falls of water again and hiding herself.

"God, I'm in the shower! Why the hell are you here?"

Asuka's voice rang to the whole shower room, Lili who woke up from her faze stood shocked again, this time it was because she didn't know what to say.

"I…I wanted to have…a fight?"

Lili couldn't see Asuka anymore; the ebony had hidden herself well behind the showering water.

"Oh, you want a fight? I'll give you one!"

Asuka came out from hiding; she had a sprinkler in her hand, directed towards Lili.

The blonde instantly jolted until her back hit the wall. She covered her front with her arms and pleaded loudly.

"No, please, my clothes are dry clean only!"

Asuka didn't look convinced at all; her mouth smirked and she looked at the door of the shower.

"Just like how that locked door didn't stop you from coming in here, your dry clean only clothes are not gonna stop me from doing this!"

Asuka squeezed the sprinklers trigger. As thick and fast as the shower, hot water sprayed all over Lili's clothes.

The blonde raised all her hair up and cried at the expense of losing her dress for sure.

Asuka stopped squeezing and looked at Lili, soaking wet and freezing from the unexpected shower.

"Please stop" Lili pleaded again, hardly looking at Asuka anymore.

Asuka raised her eyebrow, still quite irritated. She squeezed the trigger again.

Another volt of scream and fussy crying came from the blonde.

"Now, let's get that hair of yours wet" Asuka's hand was slowly raising up to splatter some water on the golden hair that Lili is so engaged in saving from the water.

The water was reaching so near and Asuka had a big smile on her already but Lili was able to dock and run below her, exiting the shower room.

Lili was able to run nonstop until she got out of the locker area and slip the floor. The loud thud of her butt to the wooden floor caught everyone's attention in the dojo.

The guys all looked shocked as they saw the blonde, sitting on the floor, dripping wet and her hands still holding onto her hair up.

The guys closest to her asked if she was fine, but Lili couldn't understand their Japanese and just ignored them.

Seconds later, a guy points at her and suddenly everyone is whispering at each other, looking at her face.

Lili was baffled by their staring, she ran her hand on her face and under her nose, she realized she was nose bleeding.

A couple of guys in front of her looked scared for her.

"Why is she nose bleeding?" the guys asked one another and looked at Lili.

Lili held onto her nose as another set of blood splattered out. The guys shivered in fear at the sight of her blood coming out and going down to her hand.

The man who accompanied her inside the dojo came running and stopped just close enough to her front,

"What happened to you?"

The man asked in fear, he seems to have thought that Lili was beaten up.

Lili who still had big eyes in shock, shifted her sight to everyone. The guys twitched as they saw her stopping the bleeding in her nose with her hand.

"I just saw something no human should see unprepared"

Lili stated, confusing everyone.

The guys soon looked scared than ever as they saw the other girl coming out of the locker room. The ebony had a big bucket with water dripping by the sides and a real pissed expression on her face.

"Get out of there!" the guys shouted at Lili who didn't understand them.

The man who could speak in English wasn't able to warn Lili as he looked confused at his daughter coming out with a lot of water.

Not knowing it until she felt Asuka's body looming behind her, Lili cried in defeat.

"NO!" she yelped as she felt the bucket of water poured on top of her. Nothing in her clothes or beautiful blonde hair was saved from soaking.

Asuka heave a sigh of success and threw the bucket at her back. The sound of the steel bucket crunched to the tiles so stridently that everyone knew Asuka was mad.

"Who the hell let _this_ get in and even enter my private shower area?"

Asuka pointed her index finger to the girl sitting wet in front of her. Her eyes looked menacingly at everyone. All the guys shaked their head so fast, telling the girl that they weren't it.

Asuka's teeth grinded, she took Lili's collar from the back and swiftly lifted her partially from the floor.

"How did you get here?" She asked the blonde with a fiery confused look.

Lili was about to tell her but the man in front explained it himself to his daughter.

"She's the person who won our free training program Asuka, she's your student."

The man had his right hand faced toward Asuka and his head nodding, asking in gesture for his daughter to not do anything to Lili.

"This is my student?"

Asuka's tone didn't fail to deliver how much she loathed to hear that. She looked at Lili who also looked at her. For a moment their eyes looked into each other until both of them undeniably blushed.

Asuka realized it first, she throwed Lili off the floor and walked away. Once she reached a minimum distance from the others, she raised her head up and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"What!"

Asuka tried to beg for her father to not let her be the teacher of Lili, but Mr. Kazama wanted to teach his daughter something else.

The dojo owner, asked for the two girls to follow him in his office. He told Lili to change clothes at the comfort room adjacent to his office while he speaks with Asuka inside.

Mr. Kazama opened a square room, with many cabinets at the walls. Scrolls and notebooks were seeable in the open door cabinets while Katana's of different designs were in cased and showed off behind Mr. Kazama's table.

The father made his daughter sit at the chair in front. Before they could start their talk, a guy knocks on the door and asks to leave his workout kimono behind.

Mr. Kazama smiled and told him to just place it on the drawer that was nearest to the door. The guy left it on top and bowed down before leaving.

This time, they were ready to start. Asuka crossed her arms, showing her father that she will stay cold on this conversation.

Mr. Kazama took out a pink folder and opened it in front of Asuka in the table.

"This is the bio data that she passed to us. You and her have met at Tekken, if I'm not mistaken?"

Scanning bits and pieces, Asuka saw the girl's name and finally remembered her name.

"Oh, yeah, her name's Lili" Asuka said in a tone of realization. "I couldn't remember her name although I recognized her"

Mr. Kazama closed the folder and put it at the side cabinet.

"Now tell me, why don't you want to teach her if you know her already?"

"It is because I know her that I don't want to teach her. She's impossible to interact with Dad."

Asuka hands were half clutch below her chin, emphasizing the feelings in her words.

"She seemed cooperative to me, although I do admit that she's a bit fastidious."

"Not just a bit dad, she is. A hundred percent and I know exactly, that she will never listen to anything I say because she's also a spoiled brat."

Mr. Kazama had a little entertainment in seeing Asuka be so flipped by someone; he nods his head a couple times to at least show his daughter that he hears her. But mr. Kazama didn't comprehend what his daughter is telling him, instead his head had another idea.

"Well then, I think you should really teach her."

"Dad, have you been listening?"

"I have, Asuka and I just thought about what you said. If Lili is this hard to interact and teach then it's better to take it on. She's a challenge, Asuka. You need something like her."

Asuka sighed and looked defeated. "It's not like I'm the only who's going to have to teach her. And I have to be alone with her in Tokyo, that's hell of a challenge."

"Well, have you gone so weak to back down on such a petty challenge?"

Asuka's eyes squinted as she hated being looked down the most.

"No"

She said to her father, slowly creating a grin on her mouth and finally building confidence to accept her duty.

Asuka bowed to her father before exiting and closing the door behind her. Once outside she sees Lili sitting at the sofa beside the door.

The blonde was still dripping wet and was sniffing her nose.

"Dad forgot to clean the bathroom, did he?" Asuka asked Lili not really looking at her.

The blonde nodded, her eyes staring straight at nothing.

"The sight was horrible" She said in a clearly horrified voice.

Asuka moved her lips sideward before opening her father's door again. She pokes her head out.

"Hey, dad, you haven't cleaned your bathroom yet" Mr. Kazama jolted as he blushed with embarrassment.

"I'll do it tonight"

"You better, but great job for scaring the brat" Asuka raised a thumb up to her father. She was about to close the door again when she saw the kimono on top of the drawer near her.

With a bit of hesitancy, Asuka took it and throwed it at Lili.

"There, so you won't catch a cold. I'll bring you to the room"

Lili shaked violently before throwing the kimono to the floor.

"I will not wear that, somebody has worn that and I can smell the body odor, gross!"

"Well, sorry because this is a dojo, not a five star hotel." Asuka reprimanded Lili before taking the Kimono and leaving it at the sofa.

The blonde instantly stood up, wanting to get away from the stinky clothing. She bumped into Asuka shoulder making both of them bolt to the wall in surprise.

"What was that?" The both of them asked and blushed as they made eye contact again. Asuka removed herself from the wall and stomped her feet hard while walking away.

"Just follow me, now!" She yelled to Lili who had a mad face as she couldn't defy what Asuka said.

The two of them went out of the dojo, this is the first time that Lili realized it was about to be night time now. The moon had replaced the sun, and the stars were gazing in the black sky.

Asuka stopped in front of a ceilinged bicycle parking. She went to the first bike colored blue and kneeled to the rack, unlocking the padlock.

Lili was hugging herself as the cold breeze of the evening made her wet clothes even more freezing.

Asuka moved her bike out and sat at the very edge of the seat. She looked back at Lili and tapped the small space left behind her.

"Come on and sit here, the house is still blocks away"

Lili slowly walked and climbed behind Asuka. Shivering from the cold, she didn't hesitate to embrace the ebony from the waist.

"Please hurry up" She said in a very low shaky voice.

Asuka begun to peddled, faster than she always does but this time she wasn't jumping on roofs and towers, she was carefully cycling for the girl behind her.

It was about three blocks away down the hill from the Dojo, where the Kazama residence was constructed.

Lili was hugging herself again as Asuka parked her bike inside of the gates. She opened the door to their house and let the blonde enter first.

Lili saw her luggage compiled together at the side of the stairs, facing right in front of the door. There were two open walls at the left and right.

The left wall leads to the kitchen while the right wall leads to the living room. Lili was about to go to her suitcase but she nearly falls down, not noticing the elevated floor in front of her. Asuka catches her through the torso in time and pulls her back up.

The ebony shaked her head before she opened a cabinet at her side and took out a white pair of fluffy slippers. She placed them in front of Lili.

"You can't walk up the main house unless you wear a slipper. This is the welcome area where you leave your shoes."

Asuka took of her boots and slipped her feet to her own blue slippers. Lili followed the girl's example; she opened the zip of her high boots and took them off her feet.

Tons of water poured down wetting Asuka's boots. The ebony's mouth became opened in a circle.

Lili who didn't care anymore took off her other boot and poured another ounce of water at Asuka's boot.

Asuka slapped her forehead with her palm.

"You are such a …" Asuka didn't continue anymore and just growled, clenching her fist to control her anger.

"Look, Asuka, I'm sorry. But you're the one who gave me all those water."

"Forget about it. Unlike you, my stuff isn't dry clean only."

Asuka turned her back on Lili and started to go up the stairs. The blonde took her back pack and looked at the two big suitcases she had.

"Asuka, aren't you going to help me with this stuff?"

Lili yelled upstairs. Asuka wasn't responding.

"Asuka! Asuka! I can't carry this myself. Asuka!" Lili kept calling out to the ebony, obviously trying her best to annoy the girl. "Asuka! Asuka!"

A loud banging of the door could be heard and seconds later, Lili could hear Asuka walking, her silhouette coming closer to the stairs. "Damn it already! Ok, I'm coming!"

The ebony shouted as she came down and took one suitcase at a time. Lili followed her up when the she was taking the second suitcase.

The second floor had two rooms. The doors are placed just beside each other at one wall to the right. Asuka was bringing all the heavy baggage to the second room.

Lili entered it and saw a small rectangular room. The left side had a computer table, a small TV set and large book shelf. The other side was occupied by two cabinets at the ends with a bed at the middle.

"Hmm, this is not even half of what can suffice." Lili commented walking inside and looking through the stuff around.

"Good. I'm always happy when you get disappointed." Asuka back commented at her, sitting slouchy at her computer table, fanning herself with a folded paper.

"So, this is going to be my private room? Do you guys have unlimited wifi because I need to always update my accounts."

Asuka laughed incredulously. "No, this is not your private room princess, this is mine and I won't let you use my wifi."

"Why am I supposed to share a room with you?" Lili stood up from the bed, pointing her finger at Asuka.

"Hah! Thank God, you finally said something that makes sense!"

"Don't make fun of me."

"Ok, I won't, then don't disturb me"

"Fine"

"Good" Asuka finished their word fight and got up from her slouchy sitting. She took the door knob in her hand and talked with her head facing sideward her shoulder.

"I'll leave you to change your clothes, but don't be long Ok?"

Lili laughed outside Asuka's sight. "You don't need to leave the room Asuka, I've seen you naked, and you can see mine too"

A second later, Asuka smashed the door closed. "Don't treat me like a pervert!" She shouted before coming down to the stairs.

Lili was left inside the bedroom holding the big bump on her head, almost teary eyed.

"I was just joking" She tried to say to Asuka, who surely wouldn't hear her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: For those expecting, Xiayou and Jin aren't coming just yet in the story. But they will appear and have a big role in the whole fic.**

**AsukaEnergetic1**: Oh, so that's how you got to me fast! hehe, nice to have you aboard my ship again, mate!and glad to make you laugh all the way :D

**HarukoTan**: Thanks for also reading Love Gas and loving this new story of mine, even if its just started.

* * *

**3) I have my own Style**

* * *

Asuka came back to the room with two bottled water. Lili was applying make-up on her computer table, pushing her monitor and keyboard to the back.

Asuka placed the bottled water in her bed and took the mirror in Lili's hand.

"I didn't give you permission to make anything of my room as your mini beauty salon."

Lili was holding one lipstick in her hand; she twitched her eyebrow and looked up to Asuka.

"Fine, give me back my mirror; you won't have the money to pay for it if it breaks."

Asuka loosened her hold on the mirror making Lili jump to the floor to catch it.

"How dare you Kazama!" Lili barely saved her mirror from falling. Her right hand was extended to its limit just to reach the end of the mirrors hold.

Asuka ignored Lili and took out all the make-up in her computer table. She gently put the beauty products down at the bed and arranged her monitor and keyboard like before.

Lili had got up from the floor and sat back at the computer table. She watched Asuka fix her stuff so seriously.

"Slow down with loving computers Asuka, it makes you look like a nerd"

"Then you're also a nerd for loving your make-up so much."

"I don't love them, I need them. There's a difference."

Asuka wasn't paying attention to her again and just took a blanket from her cabinet. She placed the blonde's entire make-up there. Lili was scared about what the ebony was planning to do.  
Gently like before, Asuka gave Lili the blanket and placed the two bottled water on top of her computer table.

The ebony fixed the bed and pillows.

"Ohh, do I get to sleep on the bed?" Lili asked, leaving her make up at the top of her suitcase and standing up behind Asuka.

Asuka was annoyed and purposely bumped Lili while she was standing straight.

"No, you're going to sleep the traditional Japanese way."

"How do you sleep traditionally?"

Asuka giggled evilly as she opened her other cabinet and took out a thick folded cloth.  
She rolled the computer chair to the end of the room and opened the cloth to the floor.

"Lili, futon. Futon, Lili" Asuka said alternating her hand between the bed make cloth and the girl standing at the other end of it.

Lili stepped one of her foot in the futon and immediately showed her dislike.

"I can't sleep in this thing! First of all, I have never slept on the floor! And second, I can't sleep when it's not soft and comfy. Your bed isn't soft enough even and you expect me to sleep in this…Futon?"

"Yup" Asuka said with a vengeful tease in her smile. She jumped herself up to the bed and caressed her mattress. "You'll sleep there while I sleep in this not not enough soft, comfy bed."

Lili's eyebrows bent down before she jumped at Asuka on the bed.

"Hey, what the! Get off!" Asuka yelled trying to kick Lili off of her.

The blonde was doing her best to push Asuka out of the bed and claim it as hers, seeing it was unfair that she has to sleep on the floor.

The two of them kept shuffling positions. Lili would sometimes be able to get to Asuka's back and attempt to kick her out from there. Or either, Asuka will be able to toss Lili's body up but the blonde will always stay firm on holding herself at the edge of the bed.

Their fighting had caused the covers of the bed to unfold and reveal the mattress underneath. Lili was now pulling Asuka's feet when suddenly she slipped from the messy covers. Her body fell to the floor as Asuka's body followed.

Asuka's head bumped Lili's suitcase, making the blanket full of make-up fall on her face.  
The girl coughed from the assorted powders that showered her.  
Lili went to her and took all the make-up she could save.

"My make-up! They're ruined!" Lili cried. She saw that all her makeup had splashed around the futon and Asuka. Even her eyeliners and mascara's were broken from the fall.

Asuka couldn't open her eyes from all the things that had got in her face, she tried to repeatedly rub the areas near her eye but it was no use.  
Lili noticed this, and left her done for make-up.

"Come on, you need water to wash that" Lili took Asuka's hand and helped the ebony stand up. She guided Asuka to walk down to the kitchen.

"Are you sure you're not gonna push me on the stairs" Asuka asked in fear, she was not stepping one foot at the stair unless she was sure that it was safe.

"I won't, just hurry up already. Your eyes will swell if we don't damp water on it fast"

Together they carefully walked one step at a time down the stairs. Asuka washed herself up in the kitchen sink, since it was closer than the bathroom.

"I can do this by myself now, go back upstairs and clean the other mess."

Asuka told Lili while busy rubbing so much water in her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, Lili looked worried at her before leaving her and going up.

Moments later Asuka returns to the room. It quietly surprised her that the blonde did clean up the other mess.  
The bedroom lights were closed now and the futon was folded on top of the computer table. Lili was now under the blankets of Asuka's bed.

"I should've known" Asuka said as she looked at the girl who had stolen her bed.

Letting it go this time, Asuka sighed heavily before she opened the lights of the room.  
Since her clothes are covered in make-up now, Asuka decide to change into something else.

She closed the door to her room and removed her t-shirt and short.

Under the blankets of the bed in front of her, Asuka doesn't know that Lili was still awake, seeing her change in front of her.

Once Asuka had a new pair of mini short and sleeveless shirt on again, Lili realized how she just stared there for long and couldn't help but shift her body to the other direction. Asuka heard the ruffling sounds and looked back at the bed.

Seeing the body in it was motionless, Asuka just shrugged her shoulders.  
The ebony took the folded futon and laid it open on the floor again. She took the blanket out of Lili and was planning to carry the girl down.

Something caught Asuka's attention though. She saw it in the trash can by the side end of the futon that Lili had thrown away all her make-up.

Lili's forced decision to this even if she deserved it, touched Asuka in the heart. She placed the blankets back on Lili at her bed and turned off the lights again.

Asuka laid on the futon and closed her eyes.

Half an hour after midnight, Lili was still not asleep. She sighed as she stood up sitting and looked at Asuka in the futon.

The ebony had no pillow or blanket, just the futon under her.

Lili who feels genuinely caring for Asuka couldn't find it in her conscience to just let the ebony sleep like that in her own room. The blonde knows how much she drives Asuka annoyed, but sometimes she wishes to just help Asuka relax.

Lili yapped and took the blankets off of her. She stepped down on the futon and kneeled in front of Asuka.

Not really educated how to carry someone, Lili made trials and error on how she would carry Asuka's body to the bed. She might be taller than Asuka, but the ebony is sure stronger than her.

After failure upon failure, Lili just went behind Asuka and slip her hands under the ebony's armpits. With all her strength, Lili dragged Asuka's body until she finally got half her body up.

She went back down and raised the lower part of Asuka's body to the bed. Lili placed her hands on her knees, panting from the small job she did.

Next to getting Asuka in her rightful place in the bed, Lili tried lying down on the futon herself. It didn't even take her a minute, before her head shaked left and right.

"Nah ah" she said to herself, quickly climbing up the bed and pushing Asuka to the end of the wall.

Maybe in her whole life, Asuka never thought of letting someone sleep with her in her bed, so it was just right for one person to fit. But, it was a good thing that both girls had thin, sexy bodies, making the impossible, possible.

Of course, they're bodies were squeezed together and one has to face sideward the whole time for the both of them to fit, but it still works out.

Lili who was slightly falling off the edge, embraced Asuka's body and cuddled closer to her. The proximity of their skins was no more than an inch.

Lili found herself looking at Asuka for a real long time, that she felt weird herself. Stopping this nonsense, Lili, turned her back on Asuka and forcibly tried to grab sleep.

The next day at the early dew of morning, Asuka woke and stretched her arms up.  
She yawned and closed her tiny opened eyes again. But before long, Asuka felt a hard tugging in her shirt. She turned her face and checked behind her. She couldn't see anything but golden strands of her, so she rolled her body, and there she saw it.

Lili was still embracing her in the waist. The blonde's one leg was under Asuka's and the other was slightly curled up.

Asuka looked confused and surprised. She tried sitting up and realizes that she was on her bed now. She looked more surprise at Lili.

_Did she actually carry me last night to the bed?_

Asuka couldn't believe it at all that it made her laugh and smile at the sleeping Lili.

Feeling thankful to the blonde, Asuka carefully went out of bed and tried not to wake Lili up, just yet.

The ebony put on her training clothes, composed of black jugging pants and white t-shirt. She also puts a black headband on her forehead to push her bangs up.

After strapping her black training gloves, Asuka walked back to Lili. She looked at the blonde, thinking how she would wake her up.

Asuka touched Lili in the shoulder; slowly she grasps her there and shakes her. Lili mumbled some French words that Asuka didn't understand and just continued to wake Lili up.

Getting a bit impatient with shaking Lili in the shoulder, Asuka put more pressure on her hand. She must've gone overboard at one point because Lili suddenly woke up, jerked and slapped Asuka in the face.

Almost swinging as she fell on her butt to the floor. Asuka rubbed the right of her face, still feeling the sting of Lili's slap.

"Ouch" Asuka wailed. She looked up at her bed and saw Lili lying back in bed.

Somehow with that simple event, Asuka lost all her thankful feelings for Lili. She stood up, and took a handkerchief from her cabinet.

Lili cared none, and just reveled under the blankets. She was slowly drifting back to sleep, when Asuka pulled her out of the bed.

Lili was sat at the computer table when Asuka squeezed the now wet hankie on her head. Unlike the hot water yesterday, Lili was now soaked in freezing japan morning water.

The blonde spit some of the water like a fountain from her mouth. Her hands flapped like a chicken, trying to get the water to dry out.

"My pajamas are also dry clean" Lili stated as she wiped the water in her face and tossed the excess water off her hand.

"I don't care, now get change and we'll have breakfast." Asuka throwed a towel above Lili's head, and left the room.

Lili's eyes rolled, she stood up and slammed the bedroom door.

Down at the kitchen, a wide mini bar separated the cooking area from the dining table.  
The glass table was colored in black and silver. Its accompanying four chairs were also black with silver linings.

Lili sat beside Asuka who sat to the right of her father, seating at the head chair.  
Since Mr. Kazama considered that Lili was a European, he made an effort to tell Asuka to prepare a breakfast fit for her.

Toast, butter, jam and Coffee, that's what Asuka prepared for breakfast. For Lili that is.  
She and her dad was enjoying a bowl of rice with eggs, chicken and miso soup.

Lili grabbed one of the toasts and bathed it with butter; she bit so little and always looked at Asuka's food.

The ebony couldn't help but notice this; she then placed her bowl and chopsticks down.

"You don't like what you're eating, don't you?" Asuka's head shifted to Lili.

Lili stopped chunking on the bread and swallowed whatever small amount she had in her mouth. "I don't like coffee; it's too strong for my tastes. And, your rice breakfast looks delicious."

Lili had an unusually nice tone in her voice; she even blushed as she admitted how she would want to have the same breakfast as Asuka.

The ebony looked at her father's plate and at hers. There was no more of that food that she can give to Lili. Asuka stared at the coffee and toasts in front of Lili and back to her plate again.

Heaving a deep sigh, Asuka stood up from her seat. "Alright, we'll exchange breakfast, but only because you asked nicely."

Lili sat at Asuka's chair now and closer to Mr. Kazama. She looked at the bowl of half-finished rice in front of her and the pair of chopsticks that Asuka just used placed on top of the bowl.

"You can get a new pair of chopsticks at the cabinet by the sink or spoon if you can't use that." Asuka said to Lili, watching how the blonde seemed hesitant to use hers.

Lili took the chopsticks and used it to bring her first serving of rice. She even made an effort of letting the chopsticks slide her mouth before ultimately pulling it out again.  
She swallowed her rice and smiled at Asuka. "No, this is alright"

Asuka seemed to have blush by that but she easily averted her face and tried to enjoy her European breakfast. "Ok, whatever, just don't dare to have leftovers" She said in addition to keep Lili out of track on her.

Mr. Kazama and Asuka finished their breakfast first and used this time to explain to Lili, just what winning the free training program meant.

"We're actually going to join a tournament together in Tokyo, rather than what was stated in your letter." Lili listened to Asuka while finishing her miso soup.

"What kind of tournament?"

Mr. Kazama took out a pamphlet and placed it at the center of the table for all of them to see.

"The Revers Tournament, it's a tournament where two people who have different fighting styles work out a way to teach them to each other and fight other teams alike.  
Revers is an alteration of the word Reverse, meaning opposite." The man gave Lili the pamphlet for her to study it more.

The blonde was close to laughing as she read the information. When she finally let it out, she gave the pamphlet back to Asuka's father and covered her stomach and mouth with her hands, still laughing hard.

"So, in other words, Asuka is going to teach me her style while I teach her my own? And then we get to fight other crazy reverse partners? What an insanely preposterous idea of a tournament!"

Asuka looked at her dad with hopeless eyes and annoyed mouth crippled down in a frown.

"I told you it was impossible, dad."

Mr. Kazama who was beginning to feel insulted with Lili's maniacal laughing, cleared his throat and patted the blonde's shoulder.

"Lili dear, why did you even attend the training program if you don't want to learn another style?"

Lili had calm down from her instantaneous laughing and tried to make her voice talk.

"Well, it's a free vacation in japan and I thought I'd only swing some kicks here and there. How about you guys, why is your free training a prize at a German classified subway competition?"

Asuka raise her hand, "I wanted to exchange styles with a traditional German Ju-jutsu user. Obviously the best place to get them was at that subway competition. I would never have expected that you join in those and even win."

"I can win in any fighting event that I wish to join in, that's just how great I am"

Asuka chuckled and rubbed the tip of her nose. "Any fight, as long as it's not with me"

Lili screeched, offended and pained since she knows that Asuka wasn't just being cocky.

"So, Lili can we count on you to accompany Asuka?" Mr. Kazama gave the blonde a warm look pushing her to oblige.

"It would be hard, but it doesn't hurt to learn what's so great about the Kazama style."

Asuka placed her elbows on the table and moved closer to Lili. "Oh, yeah, so what kind of style do you use?"

Lili gave a giggle to her rival, her hand again raised in front of her mouth. "I created my own style Asuka, I guess we can call it the Emilie Style since I'm the only one who uses it. Good luck, trying to learn from me."

"Oh, boy" Asuka exhaled with a tired voice.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ****AsukaEnergetic1**: Even starting off bad, AsuLili are just genuine made to be all blushing and teasing each other.

**HarukoTan**: haha, yeah, I do make fast updates. Sometime's I drag readers from how fast I am. I can't help it, I just can't stop writing AsuLili.

**Puma Jasmin**: Thanks for loving my stories and updates will always be served :D

* * *

**4) Get your head in the game!**

* * *

Asuka was washing the dishes of their breakfast as Lili sat at the mini bar area.

"My maids wash the dishes faster than you, Asuka"

Lili was talking while checking her nails, her hands stretch away from her.

"Yeah, that's just a proof that I'm not your maid"

Lili's eyes went to Asuka, she pouted her lips looking at the ebony. "Why am I even waiting for you?" the blonde asked sarcastically.

"Because we're going to the dojo together after this." Asuka has finished washing the dishes; her hand was now wiping them with cloth before placing them back to the cabinet.

"I don't want to go back there, that place reeks with bad hygiene"

The blonde had her disgusted look in the face again; Asuka was able to see her body shiver for a second.

"Well we can't train anywhere else, that's free. If you go to another cleaner dojo, if ever there is one in Osaka, you're going to have to pay, and I will not pay if I can get something for free."

Lili shaked her head. "You're such a thrifty person Asuka, and why are we going to train there? Aren't we going to Tokyo?"

"We won't be leaving until the next day; we'll have two weeks of training there and two days of tournament. They'll immediately test us as a team before we are able to officially join so I'm not risking my chances because of your silly complains"

Asuka was walking out to the door now; Lili got down from the high chair of the bar and went after the ebony.

"Two weeks and two days alone with you? How will I survive?" Lili asked in a doomed voice, her palms were on her cheeks.

The ebony she was talking to was unlocking the pad lock of her bike on the rack at their front yard. "That same question has been haunting me since yesterday" Asuka took the metal and pad lock of the bike. She realized that she had no pocket in her clothes.

"Could you put this in your pocket?" Asuka asked Lili, lifting the metal and pad lock to the blonde's face.

"No, I don't want to" Lili said trying to push Asuka's hand away. The ebony wasn't in the act to give in.

Asuka slid her hand on Lili's front pocket and held the blonde's hand together. "Just for today" She said to Lili, "or I'm not gonna let you ride with me"

Lili had a sour expression but she didn't fight with Asuka anymore. She just walked behind the Japanese until they got out of the gate and locked it. Asuka mounted her bike first and waited for Lili to sit behind her.

Looking out straight up the hill, Asuka felt Lili's hand encircle to her waist. It was obvious that the blonde wasn't used to riding these things, she was scared and even when she didn't say or show it to Asuka, the ebony could feel it in the tightness of her hold. Unless, Lili was afraid she would not cling to Asuka that much.

"Yosh!" Asuka shouted before starting to pedal. A couple of height along the long hill, Lili began to talk. It was ultimately showing that she was afraid and was trying to get her attention somewhere else.

"What prize do you even get to win in the tournament? Is it so good that you'd even put up with me?" The blonde's voice and body was shaking and Asuka could feel it in her embrace.

Laughing a bit to herself, Asuka decided to give Lili the distraction she needed. "The prize is having a new branch of our dojo in Tokyo"

"That's it?"

"Rich imbecile" Asuka said in low tone that made Lili ask what she said. "Nothing, but you know what, Tokyo is the center of japan if we get to have a dojo there, we'll earn more money than ever." Asuka was surprised that she was beginning to have a hard time in crossing the hill up, they were slowing down and Lili was getting tighter behind her.

The blonde still continued to talk amidst her growing fear. "So you want to get rich too?"

Asuka was pedaling harder now and faster, her teeth were grinding. "Even rich people wants to get richer!" the bike was able to move in faster pace again, and both girls sigh in relieved.

"It's funny that I'm just supposed to be your sadistic rival, how did I ended up helping you to usher from poor life" Lili's hold on Asuka has loosened after the bike went stable again.

"I think it's you're karma" Asuka said, smirking back at Lili.

The blonde got pissed at Asuka and rapidly tightened her hug again. Asuka's feet stopped pedaling from the shock of the embrace.

Their bike rolled so fast down the hill. Lili shouted to the end of her lungs and shaked Asuka in front of her. "We're falling! We're falling! Do something!"

Asuka half stood up from the bike and pedaled even harder and faster than she ever thought she could, sweat begun to drop from her face as her teeth pushed one another.

"Ugh! You sure are sadistic to me!"

Lili who was holding tighter than ever to Asuka was annoyed at the girl half standing, Asuka's butt pushing towards her. "Could you just sit back?" Lili tried to argue, scared to move away from Asuka because she might fall.

Asuka doesn't answer her and continues to control the pedaling. She shouted loud and continuos as she was finally able to roll the bike up again. By the middle of the hill, Lili had pushed her down to sit. Asuka continued pedaling from there as Lili embraced her hard again.

Upon reaching the bicycle parking at the dojo, Lili unmounted first. Asuka panted heavily at the bike and fells off to the floor as her feet have numbed from the force they exerted.

Lili caught the bike before it totally falls on Asuka and watched the girl, trying hard to stand up with her exhausted feet. The blonde left Asuka and decided to park the bike herself.

After putting up the lock she went back to Asuka and held the girl in her forearm. They went inside the dojo together with everyone looking at how Asuka was walking like a limp. "Never to talk me while in the bicycle, ever again" the ebony told Lili as the blonde helped her sit down at a wooden bench near Mr. Kazama's office.

"I surely won't, you almost killed us!" Lili's hands gripped on her collar.

Asuka had a real mad look on her face. "You're telling me it's my fault?"

"You were the one pedaling" Lili moved her head closer to Asuka. The two of them looked at each other, their faces so close, and their eyes all sharp.

"I will make you pay, Rochefort" Asuka hissed, standing up and pulling Lili in the neckline of her dress. The blonde kept asking where Asuka was bringing her and before she knows it, the ebony had locked them both inside the bathroom near Mr. Kazama's office.

"No!" The blonde's loud screaming echoed the whole dojo, making every one inside look at the corner where the office was.

Minutes later, Asuka and Lili were now at an enclosed area by the end of the dojo, just in front of the locker area. They were standing on blue gymnastic mats and had a rope trap them in four poles.

Asuka laughed evilly, holding a paper fan in her hand and slapping it at the palm of her other hand. She looked at what she had done to Lili.

The blonde was standing in front of her, folding up the obvious too big kimono for her.

"I told you this is not my size" Lili complained to Asuka as she pulled the very excessive cloths of the whole white kimono.

The large size kimono was so loose in Lili arms and feet while the obi or the belt in her waist was tied so tight. "I look like a star" Lili stretched her hands up diagonally and stride her feet, actually copying a star.

Asuka laughed while biting her lip, she was able to create the image that Lili wanted her to see. "It fits you" she complimented jokingly before stopping to laugh. "Now, let's get started" Asuka slipped the paper fan at her jogging pants behind.

"The first thing you need to know about any martial arts and not just the Kazama style is that in every fight you enter, you need to do the bow" Asuka demonstrated it by bowing slowly, her arms on the front and hands on top of her legs. She raises her body up again and faced Lili. "The lower and longer you bow the higher respect you have for the person. Now you try it."

Lili wasn't moving. "Why aren't you bowing?" Asuka asked.

"I don't have respect for you." Lili said a matter of factly.

Asuka took the paper fan from her back and slapped it on Lili's head. The blonde kept saying "Aw" but suddenly stopped covering herself. "Hey, that doesn't actually hurt" she said in realization.

Asuka stopped slapping the fan at Lili, and threw it to the floor. "Next thing is the execution of attacks!" Asuka pointed her index finger and thumb at Lili.

The ebony steeped away from the girl and clenched her hands into fists. "Just do what I do" Asuka did slow hand punches and exhaled "Hah! Hah!"

Lili who was at least doing the punching wasn't saying anything.

"You need to shout the martial arts yell Lili"

Lili stopped her punching and faced Asuka. "I always found it irritating how you Martials yell Ha! And Kiai! in every move you make. It's disturbing."

"It's part of the practice; it helps the chi in your body to accelerate. You never do that, that's why you always lose to me."

"Ah, well I never. I'll show you Asuka Kazama" Lili puffed air at Asuka before she moved back to her punching position.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Lili punched faster and faster. The people in the dojo started looking at Asuka and Lili.

It was horrible, the way how Lili screams "Ha!" was too high pitched and very wrong. The fact that she even did it fast created the sound of a very crude laughing that had gained uncomfort for the others in the dojo.

Asuka shivered herself, being the closest to Lili and ultimately stopped the blonde from going on. "On second thought, it does sound better when you don't do the yell"

"What? But I can already feel the energy building inside of me as I yell faster and louder!" Lili had big wide eyes of happiness, but that's not gonna persuade Asuka.

"For the sake of all Lili, don't"

Lili got upset about being band from shouting the martial arts yell and didn't want to listen to anything Asuka said anymore. The ebony had no other choice but to have a break and let the princess's head cool down.

They sat at the mat, sitting far away from each other and facing backwards. Asuka was fanning herself and slowly stretched her legs to a more comfortable position. She blew some air out in her mouth and suddenly stood up.

She lifted the rope barricading her from the outside and bent her body down to cross under it. Lili turned her body and looked mad at Asuka.

"Where are you going? Don't you dare leave me alone"

Asuka was able to cross and got outside of the ring prison she was in with Lili. "I'm just going to get some bottled water; do you want me to bring one for you?"

"Hmph, I'm fine" Lili answered crossing her arms and turning her back on Asuka.

"Whatever" Asuka left the blonde.

Lili had her feet pressed to her chest and hugged them with her hands, she licked her lips repeatedly. "Maybe I should've made her bring me one." Lili said to herself, noticing it too late that she was thirsty herself.

"This is crazy, I can just leave her if I want to, it's not like she can stop me if I just disappear in the night."

"You should learn to keep your plans to yourself." Asuka had come back with a big bottle of water in her hands; she jumped up the rope now and gulps the water while going close to Lili.

"Look, as much as I don't want you to be my partner, you can't leave me now since the tournament is on the next day and I don't know if I can find any _capable_ partner anymore."

Lili who still sat with her feet on her chest looked up at Asuka.

"You find me as a capable partner?"

Asuka frowned a little. "Yes, I do." The ebony knew that one way to get brats out of their tantrum was to tell them what they want to hear.

Lili couldn't hide an escape smile in her lips but was able to quickly take it back. "Ok then I won't leave you anymore. But you have to agree with things that I want."

Asuka rolled her eyes, evaluating things in her mind. For all she knows, the blonde might take advantage of her rights too much. "As long as the things you want doesn't go overboard."

"It won't since I know you won't give it to me if it is. I'll just request for three things."

Asuka nodded in agreement. "Alright, good, so what are the three?"

Lili broke away from her sitting position and stood up in front of Asuka.

"First, I want to have rice breakfast, so that I won't take yours anymore."

"Ah huh" Asuka merely said.

"Second, I want to sleep on the bed."

Asuka raised her eyebrow for a second. "So you're telling me to sleep on the futon?"

"No, we can sleep together in the bed. We did it last night"

"Are you sure you're fine with sleeping with me?"

"Of course….well as long as it's only sleep in the bed with you" Lili placed her one hand above the palm of her other. "And not sleep with you." She then pointed the ends of her fingers on Asuka.

The ebony had a shocked look on her face. "I wasn't talking about that." Asuka was shaking her head; she couldn't believe how far the blonde's imagination has gone.

Lili looked nervous now and nodded heavily. "Yeah right" She was rubbing her hands together. "Oh, and my third request, yeah, my third request" She was repeating words now and was beginning to blush.

She opened her arms and stretched her oversize kimono. "Please let me change this"

Asuka looked at Lili for a while. "I just want to try something first."

The ebony left Lili again but run back within seconds with a red electrical tape in her hands. She asked Lili to open her arms and feet. Asuka used the tape to flat and tie the loose parts of the kimono in Lili's body.

"There, let's see" Asuka said as she walked further from Lili and made a frame in her hands to look at the blonde better.

Lili had a disbelieving annoyed expression. "Don't try to flatter yourself Asuka, I look like a voodoo strap doll"

The red electric tapes in the end of her arms and feet and even in the neck cause the oversize fabrics in the middle to pop up. The tapes looked like the ropes tied to these same parts in strap dolls to keep them in shape.

Asuka throwed the electric tape she was holding, maybe even hitting someone since somebody shouted after. "Alright, just use your dress already. We don't have a kimono for your size"

Lili clapped her hands and ran out of the ring, some of the guys she passed by was trying hard not to laugh at what her kimono looked like now.

Asuka watched from her position how the blonde walked like a penguin in the tape tightened sleeves of her kimono.

"Well, you're dead now Asuka, you just spoiled her more." The ebony stated to herself, knowing that things will get worse after giving Lili what she wants.

After almost an hour, Asuka was still waiting for Lili to come back.

"Don't tell me she left?" Asuka suddenly asked in horror. She jumped out of the ropes and ran to the office bathroom. She opened the door and saw no one there.

"Where did she go? I just gave her what she wants and she just leaves like that?" Asuka went out to the dojo again and looked around for Lili. She went inside the locker area and even in the showers. Lili wasn't anywhere inside the dojo.

Asuka came back to their closed area and saw Lili coming inside the dojo in her dress now. The ebony didn't waste a second and went to her.

"Where did you go?" Asuka asked the blonde in a hostile voice.

"Well, I just couldn't change clothes in the bathrooms here so I went to Dad and asked him the keys to the house."

"Asked dad?"

"Your dad, Mr. Kazama." Lili pointed at the dojo office.

"Don't call my dad, dad."

"Well, he let me call him dad." Lili walked by Asuka and went to the office. "I'll be back in our area; I'll just return the keys to DAD"

Asuka walked to their area and looked at Lili. "You better hurry up now!"

"I will!" Lili shouted, waving her hand in the air.

"On second thought, I'll just come with you to be sure." Asuka was now walking beside Lili. The blonde bent her head down and looked at Asuka who had a serious face.

Lili chuckled, as she swings the key chain in her finger. "What are you laughing at?" Asuka asked her.

"Asuka Kazama is scared that I'll leave her, it's just so sweet."

With a blink of an eye, Asuka stepped on Lili's instep, so hard that the blonde yelped in pain. The key's chain slid off her finger, making Asuka catch it in the air.

Lili bent her body to hold the feet she was stepped on.

"On third thought, I'll give this to dad. Go back to our area."

Lili watched Asuka walk in her mad way; she rubbed her feet under her boot and tried to calm the pain.

"Why did I even say that?" Lili contemplated to herself. She tried to stand up and walk back to their area.

By the time that Asuka arrived there, Lili's feet didn't hurt anymore.

"So, can we really start now? It's almost five" Asuka didn't mind asking Lili's foot condition since she can see the blonde standing perfectly fine.

"Could we start with something that doesn't involve kicking or using the feet?"

Asuka went behind Lili and placed her hands on Lili's shoulder, but it was only to guide the blonde's hand from the back. Slowly, she slided her hands down to the girl's biceps and moved one arm up while the other bent backward like launching a punch.

"In Kazama style, there are many techniques that doesn't involve the feet." Asuka moved Lili's hand into a different position. She made both Lili's hand raised in front her face.

"Close your right into a fist and leave the left open." Asuka instructed Lili, putting her mouth close to the blonde's ear. Asuka was irritated at this set up as normal as it seemed to the others. She was standing in tip toe just to reach Lili's ear since the blonde was taller than her.

Lili had a weird feeling every time, Asuka would try to reach her ear to tell her what to do, but thankfully, her focus still seemed perfect.

She clenched her right hand into a fist like Asuka said and momentarily, her hand was raised upwards by Asuka.

"That's how I do my uppercuts Can your feet move now?"

"It can move Asuka, it just stings a bit." Lili answered looking from the back of her shoulder.

Asuka stopped guiding her from the back now and went in front of Lili.

"I'll teach you some combo's now. We'll finish this by seven then we'll go home and then continue tomorrow."

"Yohoo" Lili muttered.

Asuka taught her combo's one by one to Lili, demonstrating them every time before she lets the blonde do it herself.

She showed Lili her low kick move, the one she uses when she kicks someone just above their instep. Lili was fairly able to do this but lacked in the force that was needed, but that can be perfected in time.

She then showed Lili her double punch, first punch lands on the enemies face, the second punch will land at either the abdomen or chest. Again, Lili was fairly able to this but lacked the force that was needed, but that can be perfected in time.

Another trial, Asuka made Lili punch and swing a kick after.

Another one, Asuka showed Lili how to pressure punch someone at the middle of the torso.

Getting close to losing patience, Asuka showed Lili the cartwheel tricks that the blonde was good at to start with but not just in the Kazama way.

Losing patience, Lili is able to execute the moves that Asuka has taught her so far but she forgets which combo's come together or either makes a nonexistent one.

No more patience, just hope. Asuka let the blonde do what she can handle.

Not even hope is present anymore. Asuka is worried just how much can be perfected in time.

When seven o'clock came, Asuka didn't expect herself to be the more relieved out of her and Lili. She watched as Lili was still doing some of the moves, clearly wrong from what Asuka taught her.

The ebony scratched the back of her head and called out to Lili. "Let's go home now"

Outside at the bicycle parking, Asuka discovered that her pad lock wasn't lock at all, the metal was just simply loop from the rack to the bike. She looked at Lili who didn't seem to understand why Asuka was mad.

"It didn't get stolen, so what's the problem?" Lili reasoned with the ebony who shaked her head and sighed disappointingly.

"Just get in" Asuka told Lili, ready to pedal down the hill.

The blonde looked at how Asuka was trying her best not to burst. Lili put herself on Asuka's shoes and seemed to realize that the bike must mean a lot to the ebony. Knowing how it feels like if you lose something important, Lili gained some guilt for what she did and maybe a lot more things she does to Asuka.

She hopped on Asuka's back and embraced the ebony in her waist. This time though, Lili pressed her face near Asuka's shoulder and whispered something to her.

"Ok, Kazama, you win. I'm sorry, I won't do it again." The blonde didn't get a reply from Asuka until the bike begun to move. It was only before Asuka turned the bike to the house that she said something to Lili.

"So, what do you want for breakfast?"

Lili smiled behind Asuka's back and tightened her embrace. "I'll tell you when we get down. I remember you telling me not to talk when we're in the bike."

Asuka eyes widened. "So you do know how to listen to what people tell you."

"Shut up."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ****AsukaEnergetic1**: You are so right about AsuLili completing each other! I think I went a different road in dealing how they exchange styles. XD

**HarukoTan**: I'm so glad to not drag you guys with my fast updates (sighs in relief) this story is going to take long, but even after this or between it I will always write AsuLili ^^

**Guest: **Although you don't have an account, that doesn't stop me from replying to you. Thanks for saying I'm one of the best author and yes, I still will write AsuLili, after this story that is.

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**5) Exchanges**

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"Ok, 1, 2,3" Asuka and Lili both counted before they raised their hands up and put it back down.

Asuka's hand was wide open while Lili's hand was clenched in a fist.

"Hah! I win!" Asuka yelled, standing up from the floor and lying at the end of the bed.

"Ugh! Curse this confounded child's game of rock, paper and scissors!" Lili remained sitting in the floor, staring madly at her fist.

"I knew I'd win over you, everyone who plays JankenPon for the first time always chooses rock."

Lili smirked at the girl on the bed. "I will get you next time, Asuka Kazama."

"Ooh, scary…" Asuka was sitting on top of the bed, receiving a bad glare from Lili. "Why don't we just sleep now? Turn off the lights already"

Lili huffed before she stood. "This is the only place in the world where I am ordered around." Asuka smiled at Lili before the blonde turned off the lights, pissed at Asuka.

The blonde moved her way to the bed where Asuka was hogging almost all the space to herself. Lili pushed her body to squeeze in the wall.

"Ah" Asuka's face was hard-pressed to the wall now. "Hey, give me more space."

"Face sideward, so we can both fit" Lili told Asuka, facing sideward already.

Asuka sighed before doing the same and instantly she felt the space become wider in the bed. Lili moved closer until their backs touched one another.

Asuka yawned and within seconds, her eyes have closed.

The next morning, Asuka woke up with Lili embracing her by chest. The blonde's foot was above her stomach and Lili's face was touching hers.

Asuka heaved a sigh before carefully removing Lili away and standing up in the bed. She pulled her sleeveless white t-shirt that had risen up when Lili hugged her.  
Before going out of her bedroom, Asuka fixed the blanket above Lili.

Asuka has prepared the breakfast in the dining table when Mr. Kazama came down the stairs and sat at his regular place.

Three sets of rice and bowls of soup was in front of each chair while two big plates of butter fried vegetable and fried shrimp was at the center if the table.

"This is a rare combination of breakfast" Mr. Kazama said as he dipped one of his chopsticks in the butter sauce of the vegetable and tasted it.

"Lili requested it; I'll go wake her up so we can eat already." Asuka left the cloth for drying dishes above the sink and went upstairs.

Mr. Kazama sat there waiting for the two girls; seconds later he twitched in his seat when he heard a loud thump coming from the upper floor.

"I still want to sleep!" Lili's voice was barely audible from the man's whereabouts.

"Don't be silly, we still have a lot to practice so we need to train early today!"

Mr. Kazama could hear how Asuka was dragging Lili's body in the floor. A moment later, the two of them went down, with Lili still yawning as she walked.

Asuka moved the seat for Lili and pushed the blonde's chair nearer to the table.

"There, I made you the breakfast you requested so stop whining." Asuka told Lili, her head hanging above the blonde's shoulder.

Lili took her chopstick and rice, digging in the breakfast. Asuka sat beside her and started eating too.

Mr. Kazama cleared his throat loudly, making the two girls look at him. "Itadakimasu" he said and bowed to his food.

Asuka and Lili bowed their heads too and chorused. "Itadakimasu"

Mr. Kazama leaves for the dojo before the two girls go. "Well then, see you girls in the dojo later."

"Yes, dad" Asuka and Lili said at the same time. Mr. Kazama smiled at the two and left the house.

Asuka looked at Lili who was sitting at the mini bar while she was drying the dishes.

"Stop calling my dad, dad too."

Lili groaned and rolled her eye. "I have his permission to do so, my dear Asuka."

"He's just too nice to stop you."

Asuka has finished all the dishes and placed them inside the cabinet. She hung the apron she was wearing at the hook wall near the fridge.

An hour later, Asuka and Lili was back at the dojo.

Asuka was wearing a black pants white top kimono now while Lili had her white frilled dress on.

They were back at the special area, blocked by ropes just for the two of them.

"Ok, so let's start with the whiplash" Asuka had her paper fan again and was using it to point at Lili.

The blonde stepped once, she stretched one hand, tilting her body to the back a bit and acted like she was punching with the back of her hand. She then tilted her body back to the front and faced sideward, using her other hand to punch stomach level.

"Ok, good start" Asuka said as she saw that Lili's whiplash was actually correct. "Next is Jab Uppercut"

Lili resumed to her straight stand position. She punched her first hand downward, making the jab, and then she used her second hand to punch upward, making the uppercut.

"Nice" Asuka was feeling a bit hopeful seeing how Lili was able to correct the second too. "Jab uppercut to spinning heel drop"

Lili repeated the jab and uppercut move she just did and tried to kick in a spinning action but failed, and fell to the ground.

Asuka's happy face went with the blonde's fall. "Yup, just how I expected." The ebony scratched her head and helped Lili stand up.

She offered the blonde her hand that daintily takes it and fogs off her frilled dress.

"Let me demonstrate it to you again" Asuka made the jab and uppercut move. "As soon as the person's head is pointed up from the uppercut, you take the chance to lift your right feet and kick him in the face with all the force you got, enough to make your entire body to spin up." Asuka landed perfectly on her feet after doing exactly the move she described.

"I could do so much better if your moves were just elegant enough" Lili expressed feeling teased that she can't do a simple move.

"It's always about being elegant to you huh?" Asuka confronted the blonde. "You know, how about you teach me EMILIE STYLE?" Asuka's hands were air quoting as she said Emilie style.

Lili felt a sudden jolt inside of her when Asuka said her name. "Emilie…?"

"Yes, Emilie Style, isn't that what you call it?"

Lili looked at Asuka, and she still couldn't figure out what made her jolt every time Asuka said her real name. The ebony she's been looking at didn't notice her sudden entrapment in thought and continued to talk since the blonde wasn't answering her.

"If elegance is such a problem in learning the Kazama style, let's see if I can't learn you're Emilie Style"

_There it is again! Why does something inside me keep bolting when she says my name? It's like an open wire of electricity that keeps grounding you every time you dare touch its bare strings._

"Hey, Lili, what's happening to you? Your moving your lips like your speaking but you're not" Asuka snapped her fingers in front of Lili, trying to take the blonde's attention.

Lili heard Asuka's finger snapping and question. She bent her head to look down and saw Asuka looking up to her. They're eyes met and Lili felt another jolt inside her.

"I was saying fine, I'll teach you my style." Lili said, averting her eyes away from Asuka, her eyebrows knitted closer together, she was confused.

"Ok then, what's the first move in the list?" Asuka stretched her arms up in the air and touched her hands together.

Lili breathed heavy before facing back to Asuka. She squinted her eyes and thought what technique she should impart to the ebony first.

"I guess I can start you up with a hard move since your acting all cocky" Lili moved her one hand diagonally facing downwards and her other raised diagonally in front her face. Her feet were away from each other and her head was directed on Asuka.

"I call this move, the divine step." Lili tumbling up the air. "This is to kick the person on top of his head." Lili said before bouncing and kicking his two feet up before landing. "And that's to kick the person below their chin. Make them lose all their balance."

Asuka, arms crossed and neutral faced stepped farther from Lili and did the move. Her body tumbling stiffer and yet she still made it, and her upward kick might be more forceful but she still did the move, correctly.

"What was hard about that?" Asuka opened her hands, emphasizing her question.

Lili's face was blank, she couldn't believe it herself. "Hard?" Lili's eyebrow frowned.  
"That was actually my easiest move, no wonder you got it right at the first try."

Lili's eyes rolled left and right trying to think of another move, something that was much harder. Something so elegant, Asuka would not be able to do it.

_Think, think…_

"Ok, Kazama, this one is really hard now."

_This might be an easy kick move, but its elegance will make Asuka fail._

Lili twirled in the girliest way she could. Her feet bent up to her chest. She lands with her left feet curled and her right stretching a kick straightly with poise. Her body swings to the left as she stands up in a tornado twirl.

"I call that one, the rabbit foot"

"Rabbit foot?" Asuka heckled air from her mouth. "This is what you get when people like you name things."

"Mock after you are able to do it, Kazama." Lili had the face of a person challenging someone.

"Well, it's just so easy; you twirl and lift your feet up a bit. Land as girly as you could and kick hard with your other feet and twirl back up again. Emphasize on the girly way." Asuka imitated the way how Lili did the Rabbit foot even going to an effort in exaggerating it while doing it all so easily. "Now, about your naming, leave it to people like me, princess." Asuka pointed her thumb on her.

"You think you're so great because of that? I was lying when I said that the Rabbit Foot was hard. It was definitely an amateur level. I was just saying it to help ease your nervousness." Lili came closer to Asuka and poked her in the collar repeatedly.

"This next move is something that will break your body if you try to perfect it." Lili looked around the dojo and saw some of the people were looking at her and Asuka, probably disturbed by their yelling.

"You there, come here!" She points at a guy who was just in front of them. The guy jumped up when he was called. He waved his hands to tell "No" but Lili called him again, sounding more commanding.

The guy crosses under the ropes and stands shaking in front of the two girls. Lili went in front of him and took his left arm. The blonde pulled his arm up, swung his body and stood on his shoulder. The guy landed face front to the floor. Lili pulled his arm once more, making a cracking sound before the girl twisted her boots to his back and jumped off of him.

"That Kazama is called Femme Fatale" Lili pointed her finger at the crucially injured guy.

Behind Lili's back, the other guy's in the dojo had drag the poor victim out of their area and took him to the benches.

Asuka looked around to find her own dummy to work on, but all the guys have acted so busy with their own trainings now. "I just need one person here, or all of you are gonna get it from me" Asuka warned the people inside the dojo, cracking her knuckles loud.

The guys pushed each other to the ring, until one unlucky guy was thrown inside the ropes. Asuka pulled him up to stand and immediately took him by the arm.

"Don't worry this isn't gonna last long." Asuka then begun to redo the Femme Fatale, creating a louder cracking sound in the guys back. The guy shouted so loud that the other's watching shuddered in horror.

Asuka jumped off the guys back and let the others take him out the ring too.

"Well I could say that that was more than perfect and I didn't even get a scratch.I don't really know why you say it's hard." Asuka slapped and rub her palms together.

"Oh my, you believed in me when I said that was hard? What a gullible little soul you are Asuka."

"I'm a gullible little soul? Well, you're a big lying soul. You just can't accept that I'm good at your style even how elegant it is, and you can't even get half of my style."

Lili was clearly mad now. "I'll show you." She tried to attack Asuka with the girl's Kazama style Jab Uppercut but the ebony easily escaped her. Asuka took her left arm and pulled it up.

"Ah!" Lili shouted as Asuka stepped on her shoulder and made her slap to the ground. She shouted once more when Asuka painfully twisting her wooden slippers on Lili's back.

Lili stayed motionless in the mat for a few seconds before Asuka rolled her body front.  
Staring in the wooden truss ceiling, Lili shaked her head in disbelief.

"You did not just topple me…with my own move."

Asuka was standing beside her head, surprised herself.

_You made her upset again Asuka, she's going to get all grumpy on you more_.

Asuka wished for the best that the blonde may let this off. But she knows so well that it's impossible.

"No, that was just a coincidence…" Asuka tried to tell Lili while taking the blonde's forearm and helping her stand up.

Once Lili was in a sitting position she took her arm out of Asuka's hand and crawled to the end of the mat. She curled her feet to her chest and buried her face to her knees.

Asuka had her right hand open toward Lili, trying to tell her something again. When the blonde, huffed a mad tone, Asuka just scratched her head.

Thinking that it's better to just leave Lili to her drama, Asuka crossed above the rope but looked back at Lili before leaving.

"I'm just going to get some water, don't leave from there." Lili huffed another mad tone.

Asuka run as fast as she could to get the water from the vending machine near her dad's office. She was in great suspicion that Lili might escape her, so she runs back again in a second bringing her unfinished bottle of water.

It was the right thing for her to be paranoid. When she came back to the area, Lili was on her way out of the ropes. The blonde looked at her way; Lili just pouted her lips at Asuka and continued getting out.

Asuka was inside the area already and pulled Lili in the back of her neckline.

"Hey, where are you going?" the ebony asked Lili.

"I'm going to get water too. Jeez, Asuka , are you the only one who can drink here?" Lili was doing her best to shake Asuka's hand off her shoulder.

Asuka wasn't against Lili getting water for herself, but she didn't trust the blonde that she will come back. The vending machine was hidden at the walls of the hallway in the office, Asuka wouldn't see if Lili had escaped through the awning window at the end there. One more thing was that, yesterday the blonde had already dared to leave the dojo, but she still came back after getting changed, although that's a different situation now. Asuka was sure that Lili will leave one way or another if she let her go because the blonde was mad.

"No, its ok, you can just drink from my water." Asuka raised the water to the side of Lili's face. The bottle was precipitating with its cold liquid content, making Lili tempted. But the blonde girl roughened up and rejected it. She averted her face from the bottle of water and continued to get away from Asuka's hold.

"I don't want to share anything with you." Lili said in her spoiled voice.

"Oh, come on, don't be silly." Asuka used all her force to pull Lili's dress, the blonde's body instantly went back inside the ring. Asuka maneuvered her to face sideward, and placed the bottled water in her mouth.

Asuka turned the bottle up straight, making Lili gulp the water without even trying.

"I guess that can do" Asuka said taking out the bottle from Lili's mouth and drinking from it again.

Lili panted as the water she had drink has just gone down her throat. She wiped the water from the side of her mouth. "Making me gulp water like a commoner, how unsophisticated." She complained as she sipped some of the water left in her lips.

Her tongue grazed her lips a little longer while she looked at Asuka drinking the last fill of the bottle.

"Ahh!" Asuka exhaled before throwing the bottle to the nearest trash can at their back.

By the time she looked at Lili, Asuka was confused why the girl was looking at her intently.

"What is it?" Asuka asked.

Lili bit her lips before she said anything. "Does water in Japan really taste sweet?"

"Huh? I don't know about you but I think water around the world taste the same."

Lili's eyes widened as she hadn't really thought how silly her question must've sounded.

_So I guess it was her lips…wait, what am I even thinking about!_

Lili felt it again, that jolt and that bolt inside of her. And now, her mind was even asking things she didn't even know she was thinking about.

"You know, I can totally see what your problem is Lili" Asuka took Lili off her thoughts.

"Wha? What problem? I don't have a problem." Lili was speaking uneasy.

"It's because you self-taught yourself that's why you're having a hard time to learn the Kazama style. I've been taught all my life and not to brag about it, I'm really a fast learner to anything that includes perfecting moves."

"Ohh, that problem, I see. I might agree on the part that I find it hard to learn the Kazama style since it's my first time learning techniques that I didn't develop myself. But you did not perfect my moves Kazama. You were barely making it."

Asuka smiled seeing how Lili is a tad bit out of her stagy moment.

"So what if I was? Unlike you, I was able to do every move you taught me, or rather showed me; you didn't even have to teach me step by step like I did to you."

"Oh, we'll see about that Asuka. Come on, teach me your Kazama style again and I'll show you that I can also be a fast learner, if I want to." Lili left Asuka in front of the ropes and entered to the center of the mat.

Asuka smiled victoriously to herself before making her way to Lili.

~ At night time ~

Asuka has just finished her bath and went upstairs to her bedroom. Upon entering it, she saw Lili applying manicure in the fingers of her hands at the bed.

"Have you packed up already?" Asuka asked the girl while drying her hair with the towel. She was now wearing green shorts and light yellow t-shirt.

Lili was wearing white silk pajamas and a green long sleeve shirt. She didn't look at Asuka, busy looking at her work of beauty in nails.

"Hey, I asked you if you packed up already? Our flight tomorrow is 7am; we need to be at the airport on 5:30, are you even listening to me?"

Lili groaned and put the cap back to her manicure. She blew some air on her nails to let the baby pink manicures dry. She then stood up from the bed and placed her hands on top of her pink suitcases. "Doesn't it fit perfectly?" Lili asked Asuka, acting like a model with her luggage's.

"No way, we are not gonna take all your stuff there." Asuka pointed at Lili with the towel she was just using to dry her up.

"Ah, this is already my limit Kazama, if I bring any less I'll be in a lot of fashion trouble."

"Fashion trouble my ass." Asuka threw her towel to the bed and pushed Lili away from her suitcases. She took one of the big pink suitcases and laid it down the floor.

Lili didn't care to interfere since she knows her suitcase had an automatic combo lock.

Asuka looked for the zipper of the suitcase and instantaneously opens it.

"What?" Lili asked in shock, then she remembered the first day she arrived at the dojo, one of her suitcase fell to the floor when the guys were bringing them down the car. "Those stupid head's broke the combo lock!"

Asuka's eyes were wide with shock, the things in front of her was never in her expectation.

Lili face palmed herself as she realized that this suitcase just had to be one that Asuka saw. She jumped down the floor and closed the suitcase back.

Asuka looked her in the eye before pushing her out of the lid and reopens the suitcase. The whole suitcase was filled with lingerie of different designs, colors and levels of provocativeness.

Asuka's mouth was hung open in amazement. "Why the hell do you have a suitcase full of underwear?"

Lili blushed hard and shifted her face away from Asuka. She was slightly sitting and lying down the floor. "I…I like to collect cute…and beautiful underwear and use them on a daily basis."

Asuka smiled evilly after hearing Lili's little secret, she rolled the fixed combo locked suitcase close to Lili. "Open this or your secret will go viral."

Lili stared between her suitcase and Asuka. "You Asuka Kazama are the only person who dares to blackmail me." Lili had the guts to say it but her hand had already inserted the code to the lock.

"Don't you have a bigger backpack than that pink one?" Asuka was pointing her head to Lili's backpack sitting on top of her computer chair.

"No, I don't like carrying them."

Asuka sighed before standing up. She took Lili's backpack off her computer chair and rolled it to one of her cabinets. She used the chair as a ladder and reached for a bag at the cabinet on top.

Lili was looking at her. "I think you can't reach whatever you're getting there."

"Shut up, I'm getting you a backpack" Asuka stopped tip toeing and went down the chair. "Ok, you get it, it's the blue one at the back."

"Blue? I definitely don't want that color."

"Ah huh?" Asuka raised her an eyebrow. "Get it."

Lili growled annoyingly, but she still took the bag. Asuka took charge of picking the things she just needs to bring.

"We'll only be wearing civilian on nights and days we go out, aside that, we'll always be in training clothes. You just need two pairs of pajama's and three pairs of usual clothes and we'll just wash it there."

"Ugh, I don't do laundry."

Asuka stopped placing things inside of the backpack. "Wait, don't tell me you brought this many clothes because you were planning to just use new ones every day?"

"That's how I've always been travelling."

Asuka finished putting everything Lili needed in the backpack. "Not when you're with me, princess." She closed the backpack and tossed it beside her black backpack at the side of the door.

It was already midnight when the two of them laid at the bed. Asuka felt a bit happy to have a lot of space to lie down straight, but it was only because Lili embracing her in sleep.

The ebony didn't mind it anymore and just closed her eyes.

Unknown to her, Lili wasn't asleep at all; Embracing Asuka was her way of thanks for Asuka's trouble to pack for her.

_Yup, that's the only reason I'm hugging you. No one has ever cared about how I do stuff but you, it's annoying but I know you're always right. _

Lili heard the quite snore of Asuka, she raised her eyes and saw the girl deep in sleep now. She sighed as she buried her head on Asuka's arm, trying to get sleep herself.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ****AsukaEnergetic1**: Man, I can't give you AsuLili love soon though it's getting there. Weird Feelings get stronger!

**HarukoTan**: There is more Lili cuteness to come XD

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**6) How nice of you**

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"Asuka, you have to wake up now, the taxi will be here soon!" Mr. Kazama was knocking on his daughter's bedroom door, realizing that none of the girls were up yet.

No one was answering from inside except the noise of moving bed sheet covers. Mr. Kazama tried calling to his daughter again while simultaneously knocking. After his third trial, Mr. Kazama had resorted to open the door and come inside.

His eyes instantly went wide as he saw the two girls cuddled up together. Lili was embracing Asuka through the waste while the ebony had her arms around Lili neck. Their foreheads leaned on each other while their feet were atop one another.

Mr. kazama's eyebrow twitched as he tried to shake his surprise and tried to reach his's daughter's shoulder. He gave Asuka a thud that made the ebony mumble. Mr. Kazama tried to add more force in his thud. Asuka's eyes slowly open, her body was moving by the hard thud of Mr. Kazama on her shoulder. She straightened her head, and saw Lili's face so close to her. For a second nothing runs in Asuka's mind, then she suddenly made her eye come closer to Lili's face.

_Wow, her eyelashes are sure long and…curvy…_

Asuka had a hard time seeing what she wanted since her eyes were still a bit sleepy. She squeezed her eyelids to form a better image and leaned her head closer; her whole focus was to demonstrate the perfect eyelashes that she couldn't realize just how close her head was getting to Lili.

Mr. Kazama watched his daughter in confusion, and in attempt to stop what he thinks Asuka is doing, he tapped Asuka in the back.

Asuka's body jolted in shock. Her father called her name which made her realize that he's been there all along.

"What were you doing?" Mr. Kazama inquired with great worry.

"What do you mean Dad? You just woke me up?"

Mr. Kazama's face was really confused and a bit paranoid. "You and Lili share the bed while hogging each other so much, and now I just saw you attempt to kiss her because you didn't know I was here."

Asuka's face came crunching. "Oh, Dad, you think we're doing those kinds of things?"

"Not until now, this just might as well be reason why you've never been attracted to men."

"Woah, woah, Dad, that is some dumb way of connecting things" Asuka was waving both her hands oppositely to stop her father from insinuating more.

Mr. Kazama didn't seem finished with his talking but Asuka's attention was stolen from him. The two of them heard the loud car horn from outside; they looked at each other in frantic.

"Don't tell me that's it the pick up?" Asuka jumped above Lili body and pulled the curtain of her window. She saw the taxi with a special banner of the Revers Tournament in front.

"Shit, they're here already" She sprinted to her cabinet and took her blue fighting garment.

"Yes, that's why I was here in the first place. Didn't I tell you to sleep early last night?" Mr. Kazama walked around following his daughter at the back.

Asuka didn't listen to him at all and was trying to do her fastest way of getting all the stuff she needs in the bath. She poked her head back to the room and asked her father to wake up Lili for her.

A minute later she comes up with wet hair and slightly unfixed clothing. She saw her dad standing by the side of the bed, looking at the sleeping blonde.

"Dad, I told you to wake Lili up" Asuka told her father while fixing her clothes and wearing her boots.

"I did, but she just wouldn't wake up, she keeps slapping my hand away."

Asuka scratched her head and looked at Lili. She placed her hands on Lili's shoulder and shaked the girl numerous times. Lili's eyes would open and eventually close again.  
The car horning outside was getting persistent. Asuka sighed and decided to do the last thing she could think of.

She took a pair of Lili's clothes from the backpack and went to the bed. She sat at the end of Lili's feet.

"Dad, place her behind me." Asuka said to her father facing head back.

Mr. Kazama lifted the blonde's body and put it above Asuka's back. The ebony made Lili's hands clasp below her neck. She took Lili's thighs in her hands and stood up, bouncing Lili in her back.

Mr. Kazama helped her fix Lili's position. "Are you sure there's nothing going on with you? You never like giving piggybacks" the man begun inquiring his daughter again.

Asuka squeezed Lili's dress between her arm and side, not telling anything to her dad but a growl of annoyance. She made Mr. Kazama take their backpacks inside the Taxi.

Asuka's father opened the back door for the girls, and helped Asuka put Lili inside the car first. Mr. Kazama continued inquiring Asuka until the ebony begged for the driver to leave.

Lili was still deep asleep and her head kept falling to the side. Asuka noticed how her shoulder wasn't tall enough for Lili to lean on, so she made the blonde's head rest on her lap.

The driver in front looked at them from the top mirror. He noticed how Lili was still in her night pajamas and Asuka was holding her dress in between her side and arm.

"Daddy, discovered your secret girlfriend?" The driver suddenly brought up, looking at the two from his top mirror.

"She is not my secret girlfriend!" Asuka immediately hissed at the nosy driver.

"Oh, so your daddy knew all along and freaked because he saw the two of you in bed?"

Asuka punched the neck support in the driver's seat making the taxi turn left and right for a second.

"Shut up! We're not anything like that, say another thing and your head's going to get it directly."Asuka raised her vein throbbing fist to the top mirror, ultimately scaring the driver.

The taxi took them to the ferry station for Kansai International airport. Asuka went out of the taxi and placed the still asleep Lili in her back again. She scared the driver to help her get the backpacks in the ferry seats before he leaves.

Inside the ferry, Asuka looked out at the window as she let Lili rest her head in her lap.  
It made Asuka wonder just how deep Lili was sleeping. There were kids singing and yelling inside the ferry, not to count the noisy old engine of the boat.

The people from the ferry and inside the airport kept looking at Asuka. The ebony wasn't numb to this, she did her best to bow her head in the lowest, embarrassed herself. She was not only giving a blonde in pajamas a piggyback at the airport but she also had two backpacks tied together and being pulled like a stroller in the ground.

Asuka enters the first comfort room she sees inside the airport. The comfort room was small, having three cubicles only. It was all in white and gray and the sinks facing adjacent the cubicles were marble black with a big mirror above each.

The middle cubicle was the only vacant spot, Asuka promptly went inside. She put the toilets lid down and placed the backpacks at the side end of the stall. She made Lili sit on top of the toilet lid.

"Hey if you're not gonna wake up I will change your clothes" Asuka kept slapping Lili in the cheek.

Lili slaps Asuka's hand away, obviously too asleep to care. The ebony had a face of hesitance before she begins to lift Lili's long sleeve up. Asuka knew that she still had to take Lili's pants off before she could put the blonde's white frill dress on. She swallowed before she continued. Her hand was shaking as it got nearer to the top of Lili's pants.

_Why am I even feeling nervous?…we're both girls, it's perfectly fine, dammit_

Asuka pulled Lili's pants down so fast that Lili reacted and said something.

"Ugh! Why are you taking my clothes off?" Asuka looked up at Lili and saw that the blonde was sleep talking. It would've fine but Asuka could hear other girl's outside the cubicle. If she didn't make Lili quiet, the people outside we'll get another wrong idea.

Asuka forcefully took the pants out of Lili's feet, making the blonde react again.

"Agh! How aggressive of you to do that, I can take my own clothes off." Asuka's immedaitaley stand s up and tries to stop the talk and move sleeping Lili.

The blonde girl was trying to take her bra off, which made Asuka flustered enough. She fought with Lili's hands who have accomplished taking the lock off and sliding half the bra out of her arm.

"Wait, not the bra! Not the bra!" Asuka didn't realize how loud she was yelling that the girl's washing their hands on the sink could properly hear her.

The girl in a corporate dress and the one with a regular civilian exchanged looks and observed how the middle stall made so much noise. What Asuka just said about the bra didn't go unheard to them. They looked horrified enough by that, but it wasn't until a bra actually slipped under the cubicle that their eyes widened so much as they shouted while running out of the comfort room.

Asuka clutched Lili's bra in her hand so hard. "Ugh! Not again!" she exalted as her hands fell to her sides.

Lili seemed to return in deep sleep, her head lost its balance and completely fell on top of Asuka's breasts. Asuka blushed but she didn't remove the blonde, instead she used this chance to put the girl's bra back. Carefully Asuka slid the bra strap in each of Lili's hand before pulling the lock at the back. The white frilled dress was easy to put after that and one by one Asuka closed the buttons in the dress, before finally fixing the red bow on the neckline. Asuka didn't know how many times she swallowed unconsciously and wiped little specs of sweat going down from her forehead.

She putted Lili's pajama in the blue backpack and continued her float of misery with a blonde in her back and backpacks pulled in the floor like a stroller.

Inside the plane, Asuka let Lili's head rest in her lap again. She exhaled as deep as her lungs could. A stewardess passed by their seat and looked suspiciously at the two. Asuka shot the stewardess a scary glare, enough to make the girl leave and never come back to their seat.

It was a one hour flight from Osaka to Tokyo and for the whole hour Asuka was just looking at the aircon and belt sign above her seat, her hands placed at the arms rest and Lili not moving at all and just sleeping tightly.

When the plane landed at Narita National Airport, Asuka didn't have to do a double thinking if she had to piggyback Lili because the blonde was obviously still asleep.

The people in the airplane gave way for Asuka to exit first, but not without giving her looks. She straddled into the receiving port for the visitors and continued to exit at south wing.

At the parking exit of the south wing, just real front of the door that Asuka exited on, a bus with the poster of the Revers Tournament was parked.

A lady wearing a sports pants and jacket was shocked to see Asuka carrying her supposed partner at her back and dragging her stuff in the ground.

"Is she alright?" The lady asked Asuka while a man took her backpacks and placed it at the bus compartment.

"She's just wheezy" Asuka simply explained. The lady nodded without any more questions and directed Asuka to come inside the bus now.

Asuka carefully bended her body to prevent Lili's head from hitting the low door of the bus, even going to the effort of holding Lili's head to make it more sure. She then stood up straight when she reached the center of the bus front. The other contenders were already inside, sitting by partners in different seats. Most of them stared at how Asuka was taking care of the girl she was carrying. They watched as the ebony sitted her partner first and then sitting herself before placing the blonde's head on her lap.

Until the bus moved, none of them seemed to shift their views from the last arriving partner.

From the Narita national airport, the bus brought the players to the National Olympic stadium in Shinjuku. The partners are slated to stay at the closest hotel, just behind the stadium. The pair will book which room they will stay in, same sex partners were allowed to have the same room while opposite sex partners were required to have different rooms next to each other.

Lili was able to stand up by the time they reached the hotel and accompany Asuka to get the room number. There was still a meeting for the briefing of the games but Asuka made Lili go to the room now since she can see how the blonde was still sleepy.

Lili smiled so happily when Asuka let her go to the room first, unexpectedly she embraced Asuka which made the ebony blush, seeing how the others were all there to see them. When Lili finally broke away she took the backpacks and dragged them to the floor upon the hotel.

Asuka stared at her for a while before going to the meeting.

Each partners were given information sheets to fill out, Asuka had no choice but to ask the manager of the game to let her pass Lili's form later.

"That's ok with me, but you have to give me the name of your team up now, I need to pass it to the game dealer."

"Well, we haven't thought of a name yet" Asuka said to the man, quite considering names in her head but not ready to tell it to the guy since she feels like she still needed to ask Lili's permission before anything.

"Can't you just come up with one now?" The man was acting a bit impatient now which made Asuka feel a bit more oblige to give the name.

"Why don't we just name them the lesbian public whores team" A smug sounding voice of a guy said from the side.

Asuka's mind went black with rage when she heard the sentence. She looked at the guy who just said it. The guy had bright pink hair in a Mohawk fashion. He wore black pants and spiky boots. His polo extended like a skirt in his pants while his black t-shirt had necklaces of silver hanging through his neck. The guys face had a piercing at the top of his nose and below his mouth.

Asuka's look made the guy chuckle before talking again. "Come on, ain't that blonde your girlfriend? Carrying her in your back, making her rest her head on your lap, hugging before leaving each other…Thanks for showing me a gut vomiting lesbo shit"

Asuka's two hands were shaking in clenched fist. "She is not my girlfriend…we're only team mates" Her eyebrows bended so down, creating fluxes of skin to wrinkle in her forehead.

The guy looked at her with equal menace but his stare had a mix of joy for making the ebony so worked up.

"I'll give the fucking name later." Asuka blasted out of the meeting room and walked in heavy steps. She didn't want to stay longer and resort to fighting the guy. It was against the rules to attack your opponent out of the ring.

_I'll get you when we fight!_

Asuka promised to herself. She took the elevator on the hotel and went to the room assigned to her and Lili.

Rm. 1106. Asuka jams the doorbell repeatedly, more forceful as it progresses. When the door opens, Lili was rubbing her eye and yawning before said anything.

"You didn't have to ring it that many times. It was irritating to hear."

She didn't wait for Asuka to tell her anything and turned her back to go to the bed again. Their room was a two bed bedroom with a table at the middle. The whole wall at the back was made of glass and the bathroom was just steps away from the front door at the right.

Asuka entered her boots at soft gray carpet of the floor and walked inside the dark room lighted only with the lampshade standing near the TV set.

"How could I not ring it so many times, it took so long for you to open it" Asuka greeted Lili who was curled in the bed. The blonde noticed how hot headed Asuka was and decided to sit up and talk to the girl.

"I was in the bed ok? It was hard for me to stand up and open it quick. Why are you so mad anyways?"

Asuka sat at the bed near Lili. "You, you're the reason why I'm mad. You've done nothing today but to sleep and give me trouble. Starting tomorrow, I will not spoil you anymore, because this is what I get."

Lili didn't look so hurt after hearing Asuka say that, she understood what Asuka meant exactly. "Just let me sleep for the whole day today Kazama and I'll be awake tomorrow. It's just really hard for me to do it now."

"What's so hard about staying awake, you've been wide awake the past two days" Asuka was pointing her open hands at Lili.

"That's the point Kazama. Monaco and Japan has a negative seven time difference. I have a jet lag. The moment you wake up I've just fallen asleep and for the past two days, you've only given me two to three hours of sleep and a real hectic training." Lili was complaining with a sad face now, it was evident she was beginning to get upset at Asuka.

Asuka however, begun to mellow her anger. She hadn't considered that thought and felt guilty about quickly shamming Lili. Her face also turned sad as she figured to apologize.

"I'm sorry; I'm too dumb to know those things you know. You should've said it earlier."

Asuka went to the strain of calling herself an idiot, feeling that it would help Lili see how sincere she was in saying sorry. The blonde's face still didn't change from sadness but she sighed like she was considering to forgive Asuka.

"I doubt you'd let that stop you from engaging me in the training. Has my oversleeping really cracked you like that?"

Asuka had to think twice now, she didn't know how to tell Lili the chain of teasing's and misunderstanding she's receive in the whole day. It would render awkwardness between them.

But still Asuka tried to share it to Lili in the most simplified and undisturbing way she thinks she could.

"So, basically everyone's been thinking that we're a thing"

Lili hasn't noticed how much she's been drawn into listening. Some part of her chest jumped when she heard that people regarded her as a love interest for the ebony. Some very deep part of her, so deep that she didn't know it was there until Asuka laughed the matter out.

"It's ridiculous how they could assume that! We can't even work out as friends how much more as lovers!" Asuka kept laughing like it was the most miserably humorous things she's heard.

Lili who had finally noticed she felt joy because now she feels pain. Maybe the joy was buried under but the pain surfaced quickly. It was upsetting her how Asuka was laughing like that.

How Asuka treats it as a big joke that they could be more.

The feeling that arose in Lili made her chest sting a bit, which confused her. She stood up from the bed and drank some water, she felt thankful to her heart when Asuka had finally stopped laughing, as her chest stinging had stopped at that same time.

"We need a name for our team up" Asuka brought up to Lili.

"Why are you asking me? Didn't you say to leave the naming to you?" Lili easily answered. Asuka was greeted by surprise, clearly she expected Lili to over control the naming again, but maybe she was still too sleepy to care about it.

"On second thought, how about you give them the express and Define."

Asuka's mouth hang open. "That is the worst name I have ever heard yet."

Lili chortled. "It's a word representation of us Asuka. You like expressing, I like defining."

"Then why don't we just go with ExpressioDefinist?"

Lili looked sideward and considered that. "Yeah, I should really leave the naming to you. But, I like that, ExpressioDefinist sounds like a French word."

"Yeah it does have your kind of accent. Too sophisticated and formal, let's change it"

"Please, one can never be too formal!" Asuka smiled at Lili showing that she was only joking. The two of them started laughing after a few seconds of smiling.

Asuka used this opportunity to make Lili fill out the information sheet. Once the blonde was done, Asuka took it down to the manager along with their new team name.

"Well, that's a little formal for a brutal tournament." The man commented upon reading the name.

"Well, you can never be too formal." Asuka said with a cheery tone.

The man found it interesting how just an hour ago, Asuka was all walking out so angry but she was now snappy and happy. "I guess, your girlfriend cheered you up. Don't worry about what the dude said earlier, he's a gay for not liking lesbians."

Asuka wanted to clear the misunderstanding again but the manager soon left her after checking his wrist watch of the time.

The next day, Lili did what she promised Asuka and stayed awake the whole day. The teams weren't asked to do anything yet but to practice in the stadium gym.

Lili was able to encounter the pink haired guy that mocked Asuka yesterday. It turns out that he's name was Takahashi, a street fighter using the gangster style of fighting.

Takahashii didn't let Lili off the hook, he also told the blonde about how she and Asuka disgust him. Lili wasn't affected by what he said except the part where he explained how Asuka was all caring for her.

This genuinely made Lili appreciate Asuka's kindness to her. She decide to do whatever Asuka tells her for half that day, a great confusion to the ebony.

By night time of the second day, Asuka was lying on her bed, looking at the ceiling. Lili was under the sheets but it was sure she's not sleeping again.

The blonde was looking at her hand under the blankets, watching it open and close.

_I've been having weird twitching and jolt in my body ever since I came here in Japan. Am I suffering from a sickness or something?_

Lili was busying her mind with thinking, since she knows she won't be able to sleep again.

Remotely out of nowhere though, Lili felt her blankets being pulled off. Asuka stood at the side of her bed, carrying one pillow in her hand.

"Move over" She told Lili, already pushing herself on the blonde's bed.

"What are you doing? We already have our own beds Kazama." Lili tried to push Asuka but the ebony stayed still. The bed in the hotel was big enough for two people to fit, so there was no problem with less or more space here.

"How were you lullabied when you were a kid?" Asuka asked Lili, not looking at her but to the ceiling.

"What kind of question is that Kazama, you're acting very weird, please get out of my bed." Lili was sitting up straight and pointing Asuka to the other bed.

The ebony blushed before she pulled Lili's hand and took her in a forced embrace. Lili felt that familiar bolt in her body again. But this time it was accompanied by a stronger beating of the heart.

"Stop hugging me Asuka Kazama" Lili said though she felt like she didn't really want to. Her mind was still over matter.

"I never try to remove you when you're the one hugging me." Asuka answered so cheekily. "And now that I think about it, if you tell me that you only fall asleep in the morning, then that means you've been hugging me in your own free will, all those time."

"To presume such a thing from me, Asuka Kazama. You are truly the cockiest person I've ever met."

Asuka started flowing her hands down on Lili's long blonde hair. The blonde twitched evey time the hand would reach the end of the strands and go back to the root on the top.

"Since I' am cocky, I'll also presume that this is helping you get sleepy. It always did for me, when my mom was still alive."

"I see" is the only thing that Lili said.

Have you ever had that feeling that there is just little to none chance that this person will do this one thing for you? And she suddenly does it. This is how Lili felt, and another thing. The moment that person does it, you try your best to stay still and quiet to kepp the person from doing it, because they might stop if you do anything.

Lili was especially in this case, remaining silent and motionless until she did feel the pull of sleep by every minute that Asuka's spends on caressing her hair.

Later on, Asuka shaked Lili's shoulder and found the blonde slapping her hand away.

"Yeah, she's asleep" Asuka said, turning to her back and getting sleep herself. Before her consciousness totally shuts out, she felt hands encircle to her waist.

A smile comes across her mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter will contain some drama and cursing. Please be ready.**

**AsukaEnergetic1**: Asuka's feeling to develop huh? I guess it's on it's way pal! the ship is about to set sail!

**AsuLili**: I love your name! hehe, well if you ask me, I guess my only inspiration is this dream I have that AsuLili will have a fanfic long and adventurous dedicated to only their ship, since other ships already have tons.

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**7) A flag has been raised!**

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_Three days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Asuka, Lili and the other partnering teams were training again in the gym area of the National Olympic Stadium.

It wasn't such a big gym at all; in fact it was just a medium sized box room. At the center of this square, a small white ring was standing. The right wall was all mirrors and scattered at the back part and left part was the workout machines.

If you're wondering, there is a time limit to how long a pair would be able to practice. After the said time limit, the pair can go back to their rooms and wait for the next day to train again. The tournament is strict in the bases that no one can practice outside.

Revers goal in its game is to create fighters who can maximize the moves of another player, not by total mastery but by a rough imitation only. Revers wants to see people who can fight in another style as if it was their own and not spend so many times to be able to do it, thus, the limited amount of time in learning.

The time given to Asuka and Lili are at eight in the morning until twelve in the afternoon. Five hours straight just like all others. The two of them were quiet happy that they didn't get the same time as that of Takahashi and his partner.

If progress is what we'll talk about, Lili and Asuka exchanged lists of their moves and showed a demonstration of each. They practiced in solo for today to be able to memorize all that was in the list. Asuka was again, doing well enough in the Emilie style but Lili was in a promising level now too.

In an effort to keep the blonde determined to continue her good progress, Asuka would constantly praise how nice she was doing in the Kazama style now. It always didn't fail to boost the blonde's confidence.

"Hey, I just saw you did a combo there! That's a big improvement" Asuka said as she landed from a high kick.

"Yes, I was practicing the swallow mallet to leg cutter. Is it just me or the Kazama style is completely dominated by turn kicks and punches?"

Asuka giggled, it seemed that she agreed with Lili but she wasn't going to voice it out. Instead she makes her own remark. "I know it's not just me when I say that your style is full of girlish movements."

Lili looked calm and was not at all offended by what Asuka said, she agreed to it mentally. "A person's style shows what personality one possesses. An edgy, superlative style like the Kazama explains how tough and brash you are. An elegant, contriving for dominance style like mine shows how I value grace more than anything."

"You know, sometimes I don't get why you tell me things that I'm just not gonna understand."

"You didn't understand that simple construction of metaphors? Asuka you want to make me cry."

Lili was shaking her head, not knowing the longevity of Asuka's somewhat lack of understanding things. The two of them went back to practicing in solo until their time limit ended.

"I want to eat something English for today" Lili out voiced while she and Asuka were getting to their hotel room.

Asuka opened the room and let Lili enter first. "What like burgers and fries?"

"No those foods are too greasy, yuck. I was going along with steaks or something like that."

"Psst, I love burger and fries and we don't have that much money for your steak."

Lili nodded at Asuka. "You're right; I forgot I was with a pauper."

Asuka lifted her eyebrow at Lili, she was clearly annoyed by being called a pauper but she didn't have to complain about it. Every now and then they will call each other names, so they had to be patience to take it without being peevish.

They went outside of the hotel and strolled at the area of Shinjuku. At first, they were both looking at cheap restaurants to have their lunch in but Asuka saw this small restaurant that offered steaks cheaper than the other's.

"Are you sure you're not going to take this back on me?" Lili asked the ebony while looking at the menu of the restaurant.

"The price is higher but at least it's not cheap noodles that taste like cardboard." Asuka answered, looking through the menu herself.

They were seating at two chair tables, facing one another. The restaurant was actually a western themed café that offered steak imitations for a low price.

Its ambiance was brown and jazzy with high ceilings and long suspended lights hanging in it. The tables were two or four seater, made of oak wood and the cushions colored in almond red.

When the steaks came, it wasn't a surprise for LIli how Asuka was naïve in the proper way of eating the English food. Lili took Asuka's plate and sliced the steak for the girl.

The restaurants steak wasn't so bad since the meat was soft and the sauce was perfectly brewed. The dark brown sauce was creamy, barbecue tasting and a bit spicy to the end of one's tongue. It wasn't long before Lili could spot the greases of the sauce scattered near Asuka's mouth. While biting through the meat she was eating, Lili took a tissue and damped it on the sauce at Asuka's face.

The ebony was surprised but she let Lili continue to wipe sauce on her. When Lili stopped, she placed the tissue back to the table and smile at Asuka.

"What a messy eater you are, I couldn't continue eating unless I put off the sauce in your face. Here" Lili hands the tissue to Asuka's hand. "Wipe yourself next time Asuka"

She said as she went back to eating her steak.

After eating in that restaurant, Asuka and Lili went back to their hotel room. Lili was finally able to register her cellphone for roaming and talk with her dad for a long time. Asuka on the other hand, watched TV while lying lazily in the bed.

By night time, Asuka was back to helping Lili fall asleep. She spent a lesser time in brushing the blonde's hair in her hand for tonight, probably a good sign that Lili's jet lag was gradually fading.

_ Four days into the two weeks of the tournament._

After training again, the two girls ate lunch at a cheaper place now. At the food court of a nearby mall.

Asuka was able to persuade the blonde in trying out the food at a cheap food stall near the stadium. In their walk to get there, Lili was able to see the nearby mall from the next street. Asuka was dragged by Lili to check it out. For half an hour Lili kept doing window shopping until Asuka scolded her that she was hungry already.

"I always forget everything else when I'm shopping." Lili explained as she and Asuka decided to go down to the ground floor where the food court was.

"You didn't even buy anything; you were just puppy eye looking." Asuka told Lili while they were going down in the escalators. "Don't you ever get pissed off when those sales lady ask you as soon as you look at their merchandise? It's annoying, it's like they're saying that you can't look if you won't buy."

Asuka was walking first with Lili behind her when they got to the food court and looked around. "It's called product promoting Asuka. Those people's jobs are to get buyers, and I'm sure the annoyance between you and them is mutual. They're also hate thrifty customers."

"Please, I would never buy anything outrageously expensive even if someone choked me."

Asuka and Lili continued they're banters as they walked and checked the food's offered in the area. Asuka stopped after scanning half the area and asked Lili to just go back to the cheap food stall near the stadium.

"Wait, no." Lili suddenly stopped Asuka from pulling her wrist to come out of the mall.

"What is it this time?" Asuka keeps pulling Lili.

"I think I know what I want to eat here" Lili pulled her hand away from Asuka. The ebony sighed before she walked beside Lili.

"Where? It better not be expensive."

"There" Lili pointed her finger to a food space, third to the last in the row.

"Monaco Express?" Asuka tried to read the poster of the food space. Squinting her eyes and putting her hand above her eyebrows. "Oh, no" She said before Lili had achieved to pull her there.

It was a good thing that the Monaco Express was actually cheap, but Lili still enjoyed the taste they served. Asuka was a little hesitant, good thing Lili knew what specific dish the ebony could try without feeling foreign to the flavor.

At the afternoon, both of them watched TV in their own beds. At night time, Asuka was about to brush Lili's hair again when she noticed that the blonde was already asleep, making her way to embrace Asuka. It wasn't necessary anymore, but Asuka still brushed Lili's hair.

_Five days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Asuka and Lili ate lunch at the Monaco Express again. This time though, Asuka now had an idea on what she wanted to eat there.

Let's be more distinctive to this. Lili's favorite Monaco dish is Socca, a pancake made with chickpea flour and Stocafi, dried cod in tomato sauce. Meanwhile, Asuka has grown to like Les Sardines Farcies aux Bletteset aux Moules which is a dish of sardines stuffed chards and mussels. Asuka isn't able to say the name correctly so she lets Lili order it for her, quite impress to hear the blonde speak in straight French.

By the time they went back to the hotel, Lili was scolding Asuka that she's run out of clothes now.

"Already? But I packed you clothes for seven days" Asuka couldn't believe it, she saw all Lili's clothes inside the laundry basket.

"That's why I told you I need many clothes."

Asuka checked the baskets content and saw the reason. Lili had been changing clothes at least two times a day.

"Why did you even need to change clothes so many times?" Asuka scanned the basket and separated some of the pants and jackets. "These ones are good for at least another wearing." She lifted the clothes in front of Lili.

"No, I don't want to wear clothes two times!" The blonde took the things that Asuka was holding and threw it back to the basket.

Asuka growled annoyingly. "Then wash them already, there's a laundry shop at the first floor."

Lili crossed her arms. "I told you I don't do laundry."

"And I told you that you can't be like that when you're with me. " Asuka took the laundry basket in her right hand and dragged Lili out of the room with her left hand.

"You just pour 20 mgs. of the powder detergent into water while it twirls your clothes." Asuka gave a little cup measurer to Lili filled with the amount of detergent needed.

The laundry shop in the first floor was pretty large. There were washing machines sticked to the walls and standing alone washing machines at the middle. Asuka and Lili used the stand alone one, since it was easier to learn for the blonde.

"Ok, now you turn the knob of the spin timer to 10 minutes" Lili did exactly what Asuka told her, and together, they watched her clothes spin inside.

"Dow, it's those shit lesbo's again" Asuka and Lili both raised their heads and saw Takahashi enter the shop with his partner.

Takahashi's partner was his sister, a black haired girl who sported a bob cut. She wore leather black clothes and looked like the ultimate slut in the streets. Her name was Urushi, and her style of fighting is karate and kempo.

"You keep denying your lesbians when you're always together. I've never seen the two of you separated." Takahashii continued to talk in a loud voice. The other customers who were waiting for their clothes begun to look at Asuka and Lili.

Asuka seemed so pissed but she tried to control her anger. "Ignore him" she told Lili.

They didn't talk anymore and even when Takahashii kept insulting them, Asuka and Lili just kept quiet until they left the shop.

Lili carried the laundry basket, and tried to keep up with Asuka who was walking so fast.  
"Kazama, wait for me" Lili stopped walking, and panted while putting the laundry basket down.

Asuka looked back and saw Lili, she rolled her eyes before going to Lili and taking the laundry basket. "Come on, hurry up." She said, directing her head to the elevators.

That night, Asuka didn't sleep in Lili's bed anymore.

_Six days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Asuka and Lili had started training by pairs now. They practiced new moves where they could combine each other's style and created combo's together.

They made the Rafflesia special throw combo. A combo trick where Asuka will perform Rafflesia, a move where one take's the head of the opponent and twitches it as she twirls up in the air. Lili will then uppercut the opponent, and jab him in the air. They will then continue to attack simultaneously in hits of combo.

When lunch time came, Lili decided to follow Asuka's request from days ago. They ate at the nearby cheap food stall. But her attempt to make Asuka feel better still didn't work, the girl was still a bit away from her. Normally, Lili would find it good if Asuka wouldn't care a world about her, but this time it made her sad.

It made her sad where she just wants to get angry at herself. She isn't supposed to rely on Asuka, heck she isn't even required to act good to Asuka if she wanted. But she just wants too. And she can't even explain why.

_Seven days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Half of the two weeks training have come, and the game dealers have decided to make a match off for the official partners who will enter the tournament next week.

It was in Asuka's great providence that the pair she and Lili were assigned to fight with was the Tato siblings, Takahashi and Urushi.

As soon as both pairs entered the rings, an atmosphere of hostility took over the whole gym. Takahashi collected his saliva deep in his mouth, creating a scratching sound in his throat before he spitted sideward in the ring.

Asuka punched her hand on her palm. "I'll show you bastard" She stretched her fist which was slapped away by Lili.

The blonde took her place in front of Asuka and imitated the Kazama stance before engaging to battle. "Let's pummel them" She says per usual.

Urushi tried attacking first, using the gangster style she exchange with her brother, she slided body flat in the floor and took Lili's wrists, attempting to make the blonde fall down. To her failure though, Asuka took Lili in the waist and pulled the blonde to her back, making Urushi slided nonstop until she slips off the ring and falls on the floor.

Takahashi watched as his sister broke her hip and was taken out in a stretcher. When his head was still busy looking at his sister leaving, he felt a tap in his shoulder. Together, Lili and Asuka performed the Rafflesia special throw combo on him.

He lands on his chin at the floor of the ring, making Asuka and Lili the victor.

Asuka and Lili celebrated as the Tato siblings have not been qualified to enter the tournament. They went outside the stadium to see the siblings leave.

Asuka used her pinky to pull the lower eyelid of her eyes and sticked out her tongue to Takahashi. It was a gesture of mocking standard in Japan. The pink haired guy hissed at Asuka but his sister slapped him in the arm to stop it already since they were just embarrassing their selves more.

Lili took out her white handkerchief and waved it in the air. "Au revoir, Perdants" She exclaimed as the bus service for the unqualified pairs leave.

_Eight days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Lili thought that things would get better again with Asuka, but it seems like it won't. This morning as they finished training, a guy suddenly came up to Asuka.

The guy was tall, black headed and white. He wore white jogging pants and a sleeveless white shirt, showing off his muscles.

"Hey, there, the name's Saito. I saw your fight yesterday and I really thought you were cool." The guy was only talking to Asuka. "I'm a coach here in Aikido arts." He lended his hand to share a handshake with Asuka.

Lili was standing right of Asuka, she stred at the guy annoyingly. Her body twitched when she saw how Asuka took the handshake and seemed focus at the guy.

"I'm Asuka Kazama, thanks for calling me cool." Asuka said looking shyly at the guy.

Lili shaked her head, not liking this at all. She poked her head between the two and faced the guy. "Ah huh, yeah. Nice to meet you too but we're going now." She took Asuka's hand and tried to pull the girl but Asuka looked back to the guy when he said something.

"I was wondering if you'd like to have lunch together."

"No, we don't" Lili immediately expelled.

"I only meant Asuka" The guy cleared out. Lili didn't let this stop her from pulling Asuka away but the ebony tried her best to get away from Lili.

Lili was surprised when she was almost pushed off. Asuka looked guilty but she averted her eyes and went back to the guy. "Yeah, I'd love to." She told Saito before facing back to Lili. "You can eat anywhere you want; you have your own money right?"

Lili didn't answer Asuka, she huffed aggravated air while stomping out of the gym.

Asuka went back to the hotel room after presumably eating at the stadium cafeteria with the guy, but she found Lili nowhere. It wasn't until dark time that the blonde went back to the room.

"Why were you stopping me this morning to eat with Saito" Asuka asked, sitting at the headboard of the bed.

"Oh, so now you call him by his first name too. I wasn't mad. I just didn't like him. He's ugly." Lili said in a passionate voice of annoyance. She was taking off her jacket in a forceful way.

"That's a rude thing to say, I can just imagine how many hot guys you've flirted with that's why you think he's ugly. I don't care about your standards for good looks; at least he's a better company than you. He's not a brat who always yaps and complains and doesn't know how to do anything-

Lili slapped Asuka across the face, piercing, loud and agile. The ebony's head was shifted to the side, the surface of the hit glowed rapidly in red.

"I don't care about your standard for company too. It's very obvious that its as crude as you are." Lili said with her snarkiest tone ever heard by Asuka yet. Her face didn't show the sadness or the sting in her heart. Her face had the expression of cold indifference. A blank emotionless face but eyes that were sharply looking through Asuka.

That night, they slept with their bodies fully turned backwards at one another.

_Nine days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Asuka and the coach guy were always hanging out now, leaving Lili to her own devices. The blonde leaves as soon as they're training are done. She decided to go to Monaco Express today, feeling that her homelands taste will make her feel better.

She clenches a fist when she saw that Asuka actually brought the guy there. The two girls caught each sight of each other. Asuka was already on the line while Lili was just getting there. The ebony had a flash of sadness in her face, she was about to say something but Lili flashily left. Who knows where she ate or if she still did ate.

The blonde had no appetite at all, even her favorite sweets like marble cakes and rocky road ice cream wasn't able to tempt her to eat.

She went back to the hotel room and glared at Asuka's bed. "Dumb Asuka" She said to the empty room and hid under the covers of her bed.

_Ten days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Asuka and Lili were fighting in their training. The blonde was clumsy in her moves and wasn't doing the Kazama style in the right way again. They stopped the training and Asuka left her in the gym.

Lili saw her later on with the coach at the stadium, doing some fistfight. Lili had that same stinging feeling again.

It was burning in her chest, every time she saw the guy her angry level will just turn high. And every time she saw Asuka alone with him, something more than anger goes high. It wasn't a feeling she's used to. What feeling has she ever not been used to?

Lili thought, trying to figure out the reason why she flips every single time at the sight of the two together.

_Eleven days into the two weeks of the tournament._

An impromptu freshen up clash was announced by the game dealers. The teams that will win this clash will have ten points advance by the start of the tournament.

"We should do our best here, we need all the points we can get to win." Asuka told Lili while tightening her signature blue and black gloves.

Lili didn't answer her and just looked straight at their opponents.

The other pair was two vertically challenged guys wearing army pants and a green t-shirt, with a red army hat.

Asuka started up with the Femme Fatale making the first guy sleep on the floor, Lili on the other hand, attacked the other guy with heel kicks and jabs. When the other guy was capable of out throwing Lili's attacks with his Muay Thai movements, Asuka ordered Lili to do the Rafflesia special throw combo.

When Asuka was about to perform the Rafflesia, Lili was telling her not to because she saw that the guy could cunter attack her with his neck bend technique, a move that Muay Thai users are very good at. Asuka doesn't get this and still attacks, so Lili had to run behind the guy and pull his hands to the back, making Asuka do the Rafflesia but Lili gets hit too. The guy uses the hit Lili to his advantage. He attacks Lili with chi points distraction causing her body to numb and be unable to move.

Asuka who was going to attack the guy again was too late; the guy threw her Lili's body making her fall to the floor. The ebony gently placed Lili at the end of the ring, not wanting for the girl's body to get in danger, but the guy uses this time to kick Asuka in the back, causing her to fall on Lili. The bell rings and the two guys become victors.

Lili's body came back to normal, she shook Asuka who was able to stand up instantly and jump off the ring. Lili followed her.

"I'm sorry I know it was my fault" Lili said. The blonde blamed herself for making Asuka take care of her that's why they lost.

"You're just so cluttered these past days." Asuka started to talk in a mad tone. "Just leave me alone." The ebony added before going out of the gym.

Lili's hard feeling for herself was getting bigger by the moment and she felt more wreck than she already is. She the other exit of the gym at the back, and to her surprise, just before getting to the door, she heard a familiar voice.

It was Takahashi. Lili saw the pink haired guy outside, talking with none other than the coach guy. Lili did her best to eavesdrop on the two, behind a bunch of garbage bins at the wall. She covered her nose and averted her eyes from the trash, focusing all her hearing to what Takahashi and the coach guy were talking about.

"I don't think they are together, I mean the short haired chick was so fast in throwing the blonde away." The coach guy said to Takahashi while waving his hand that had a cigarette.

"Who cares if they are or not, the important thing is to break them apart. They've already lost the match today; just continue hogging the other until they completely lose the competition."

The coach guy nodded and threw his cigarette away. "I know, it was all because the blonde was obviously jealous of me. The hot bitch may really be a lesbian after all."

Takahashi and the coach guy laughed and pounded their backs.

Lili couldn't hear anymore, she quietly run back to the gym and breathed air again. She took her palm to her forehead and shaked left and right.

_They're wrong…I'm not jealous…I'm not gay…_

She was convincing herself while closing her eyes. Letting her words sink it. When her palpitation had calmed down, Lili ran to the hotel room to tell Asuka what she heard. She was excited to finally rid of the coach guy, who might also be a faux coach.

_Twelve days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Asuka didn't believe what Lili told her, making the blonde mad. First of all, she said that Saito didn't smoke but Lili said otherwise, the next thing is that, she thinks Lili just wants to get even with her after she stormed on her.

But deep inside, Asuka thought that there was a big possibility for this. She went to see Saito this day and asked him to have lunch. While outside the stadium, Asuka cornered the guy in an alley and pinned him in the wall, her hand chocking him in the neck.

"Tell me the truth, are you with Takahashi?" Asuka asked, her hand tightening on the guy's neck. "Tell me" She said louder.

The guy's face was turning blue now, and his hands struggled to tell Asuka that he'll say it. Asuka quickly let him fall to the wet floor.

His white jogging pants were soaked in muddy water now. Asuka took his hair and lifted his face. "So?"

"It's true. I was paid by Takahashi to separate you two." The guy's face was filled with fear as Asuka's fist was already directed in his face.

The ebony stroked him in the nose; the guy placed his hands on it and saw the blood that came out of his nostrils. He wailed in pain while trying to control the dizziness of Asuka's heavy punch.

Asuka threw his face on the puddle and rolled his body to face her. "I was only hanging out with you because people kept teasing me and Lili. But really, I realize that's a complete bullshit! You were nothing but a boring obnoxious piece of worthless body muscle without strength! Lili is highly more fathomable to be with!"

Asuka gave one last kick to Saito's stomach, making his body jerked up from the dirty ground. "That's for Lili, and tell that Takahashi that me and Lili aren't going to lose…we may not be what he thinks but we sure are special to each other. We have a relationship where even if we throw the largest insults in the world we still work it out and care damn much for each other!"

Asuka left the beat up body of Saito in the alley and quickly sprinted back to the hotel.

When she entered the room, Lili was doing her best to ignore her. Asuka couldn't blame the blonde.

She knows that it'll take a lot of apologizing for Lili to forgive her.

But Asuka's determined to get it. She knows now that the blonde really cares about her. And she cares about her too.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Bohoo, school started today again and I can already feel the busyness. I will now announce that from one chapter a day, I can only do one chapter every 3 days or a maximum of a week, since I don't have the free time I had in vacation anymore. I wish you guys don't leave me for this. Don't worry, I promise to make the longer wait worth it.**

**AsukaEnergetic1**: Somehow I feel like I always make Asuka the jerk one...don't worry Asu, I shall redeem you XD

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**8) We've reach the end, what happens next?**

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Lili was standing at the end of the hotel room, looking out of the glass wall in the tight space open as the curtains were pulled to the sides. She wasn't really looking at anything though. She was crossed arm and was listening intently to someone.

_Thirteen days into the two weeks of the tournament._

Saito was nowhere to be found in the Stadium. It turns out that he wasn't even an employee there, much worse was a coach. He was actually a petty body builder that is friends with Takahashi and was looking for money to buy some steroids to boost his muscles.

After Saito's body was found in the alley, his illegal prescription of drugs got him to jail. The police were also after Takahashi for being a top notch carnapper. Getting Saito, the police were able to trace Takahashi into jail.

Asuka and Lili saw it separately in the newspaper, about the guys being prisoned. At a background for Takahashi, the girls discovered something. It would seem that Takahashi didn't hate them for just nothing.

Takahashi was gay. He had a boyfriend back then that was killed for being gay. Takahashi had since developed a perspective that if he can't be accepted then no else can. He's frustration leads him to hate any homosexual couple who get to be happy, unlike him.

"That explains the pink hair" Asuka commented after reading the post, crumpling the newspaper and throwing it in the trashcan.

Lili on the other hand, had a different view to the story.

_"I know, it was all because the blonde was obviously jealous of me. The hot bitch **may really be a lesbian after all."**_

Lili remembered it again, so solid like it was recorded in her head. The blonde threw the newspaper and decided not to think of it, again.

Lili has no idea that Asuka was the one who beat Saito up. She was ignoring Asuka the whole night yesterday, even when the ebony tried multiple times to get her attention. And even today after their training, Lili was still not able to talk with Asuka.

Her thought was, Asuka would be worried for that Saito for being beaten up and the same time, sad after learning that what she told her was true.

Inside of Lili, there was glum and joy. She was upset that Asuka would worry for that guy, and happy that the ebony was slapped in the face with truth.

When the blonde walked up to their hotel room to get change into civilian clothes, Asuka tried speaking to her again.

"Uhm, how more can you be this ignoring?" Asuka started, "You are the first person I have met that had the heart to be this stony"

Lili was confused with how Asuka speaking, it didn't sound like mad or looking for a fight. The way how Asuka said it in tone was urging, a tone she uses every time she wants to compromise with Lili. Finding that little clue in Asuka's voice, a part of Lili mended to listen now.

"I deserve to be stony. You've seen it right? The news…I was saying the truth."

Asuka eyes slowly became bigger. Lili was finally talking to her again. Relief instantly made Asuka's shoulder relax and her face softened, like a happy wind just came and took all her worries away.

"I don't need to see the news. I know what happened since yesterday."

Lili was surprised now; she turned her body and faced Asuka.

"Is that why you kept wanting to start a talk with me yesterday?...You were worried of him-

"No. The hell would I worry about him, I was the one who beat him up."

Lili was more surprised now. She didn't expect this.

"Although I tried to protect him the first time you told me what you heard, I still had a smidge belief in you. I took him to that alley and made him tell me everything."

"You bully, you beat up a person because of that!"

Asuka tossed her hand in the air and stretched it to her right. "I couldn't stop myself, I was so mad. Besides he deserved it. If you think I like him, I surely don't! I've always wanted to beat him up. He thought I was too stupid I wouldn't notice that he's breath stench of cigarette even when he says he doesn't smoke."

Lili looked at Asuka, how the girl was waving in her hand everywhere while explaining, she was serious.

"Then why were you so happy to spend time with him?"

"I wasn't ok? It was torture, he said he knew how to fight but I couldn't even feel his attacks. Then he had this boring sense of spending time just walking inside the stadium… I only did it because I was tired of people teasing us."

There it was again, a sting hit Lili's heart to the center. Was it that funny? Was it that insulting? Is the simple gesture of having people misunderstand enough for Asuka to even choose spending time with a douche bag. Lili was broken, a bit. She doesn't know that she is, but she feels it.

"So what now?" Lili simply said, not taking account of all those other questions in her mind.

"I want us to go back to being those close almost lesbian friends." Asuka said quickly, it sounded so true and sincere that immediately, Lili's heart felt a jump of joy after sadness. "I was lying when I said that you were just some brat who yaps and complains and doesn't know how to do anything. You're not really a brat, sometimes. You don't always complain unless you really don't like something. And most of all, it's stupid to say that you can't do anything, heck, you invented your own style…and… you're the only person I know who can order my favorite Monaco dish and not slip on the French accent."

Heartwarming, that's what Lili felt in Asuka's words. No one's ever tried to understand the layers beneath Emilie De Rochefort. No one but this brazen, bruth brown head girl who was actually no one but her rival, at first. Had she understood Lili for the sake of staying sane while being with the blonde, or was this part of her want to get closer to her? Lili wondered, and wished that it was the latter.

"Is this your way of saying sorry?" The blonde asked, smiling up a bit now.

"Yes. I mean no, I…whatever…I just want things to go back as they were a week ago." Asuka indecisively tells with a muddled look in her face.

"Very well then, Asuka, I don't take that as an apology." Lili shaked her head with an unsatisfied expression.

Asuka expected this, though it still took her astonished. Now this was the hard part, what does it take to get Lili's apology?

"Then what is an apology for you?"

Lili pouted her lips to the left and thought. "I'll think about it." She said with a smirk.

Right there, Asuka knew she was in big trouble.

_THE LAST DAY BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT TOMORROW._

Trainings have been cancelled to give a free day of resting to the pairs of contestants.

The stadium was being set up with designs and rings now. The posters for the event were getting hanged on walls and nearby street shops.

Inside the stadium itself, lights, sound and comfort within the judge's panel, the audience seats and the fighting ring were getting double check.

Inside a bedroom at the nearest hotel there, Lili was enjoying life of watching what she wanted in the TV and have Asuka maid her. The ebony was doing a good job in serving Lili some drinks and even going to the mall and takeout some Monaco Express.

By afternoon, Lili was talking in the phone with her father again. Asuka was behind her, giving Lili a shoulder massage. It didn't matter since, Asuka didn't understand French anyways.

When Lili finished talking with her dad, she didn't give attention to Asuka and read a magazine on top of her lap. It wasn't long and early in the night that Lili's head fell to the side while Asuka was still massaging her. The ebony jolted when Lili's head suddenly fell. Asuka took a peek at Lili's face and saw that the blonde's eyes were closed now.

Asuka's hands were a bit tired from massaging Lili in the shoulder for a straight five hours. She cracked her fingers and stretched her arms. She then went in front of Lili. She slid right her under Lili's feet and placed her left hand as support behind Lili's neck.  
With a big, fast push, Asuka stood straight carrying Lili in a bridal fashion.

Carefully she laid Lili's body in the bed, fixing the blonde's pillow and putting a blanket above her.

Turn off the lampshade in front of Lili's bed; the room was rapidly pitching dark.

Asuka got lazy trying her way to her own bed at the end of the room. Besides it was dark now so, better safe than sorry. Asuka climbed on Lili's bed and hid under the same covers of the blonde.

_THE FIRST DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT_

An hour before the tournament starts, Lili was standing at the end of the hotel room, looking out of the glass wall in the tight space open as the curtains were pulled to the sides. She wasn't really looking at anything though. She was crossed arm and was listening intently to someone.

Asuka was sitting in her knees, reciting words from a paper that was put in front of her at the floor.

"Read the last one Asuka" Lili heard the sound of hesitancy in the silence that took over Asuka after hearing her second to the last sentence about how she wants Asuka to apologize to her.

"Lastly, I promise to do anything that Lili may wish." Asuka spitted, sounding so forced and anxious. Asuka was about to get the paper in front of her but Lili got it first.

"Ok, good" Lili said in a hasty tone, she folded the paper and slipped it inside the pocket of her white frill dress.

"Now take off your clothes" She demanded so quickly, Asuka fell on her butt and crawled backward, away from Lili.

"What are you?... the tournament's in an hour, we can't do that.." Asuka placed her hands on top each other above her chest.

Lili looked baffled at Asuka, gradually a blush formed in her cheeks. "What are you even insinuating?"

"What am I insinuating? You want me to get naked!"

"I just want to change attires with you." Lili shouted. Her blush was still so red that Asuka wondered if she was also blushing like that.

"Change attires?"

"Yes, you wear my frill dress while I wear your…blue…jumper looking suit."

Lili was circling her finger in the air while pointing it at Asuka's clothes.

"Why would you want to change clothes with me?"

"Well, it's a reverse tournament and were using each other's style so why don't we complete it. Let's use each other's clothes too."

Asuka scratched her head, and had no other choice but to agree. It was part of the list of apology that Lili made her read. Plus, the blonde's request wasn't even hard to do.

Except for one or maybe two problems.

"Your blue shirt inside is too loose for me" Lili lifted the blue inner shirt inside Asuka's vest, revealing the extent that if she lets the fabric go, her cleavage shows notoriously.

"Well, at least you can use some safety pins to fix that, I can't close your dress in the chest, it's too tight." Asuka was trying hard to make the white button reach the hole on the other side of the dress. Sweating so much already and stretching for so long, Asuka gave up and exhaled a tired air.

LilI collected the extra amount of the blue fabric in her chest and put them in place with a safety pin at the back, covered by Asuka's blue vest.

Asuka in contrast was half lying in the bed, with her upper part on the mattress, still trying hard to close the white frill dress. Lili whose costume was fixed now, moved Asuka's hands away and took the button and the whole matter in her hands.

"I'll help you." Lili said while pulling the button closer to the hole. Lili, really against her will to do it, squeezed Asuka's breasts to be able to create a bigger space for Asuka to be able to wear her clothes.

"Hey, don't do that" Asuka said, beginning to lift her hand and stop Lili.

The blonde didn't dare look at Asuka and continued what she was doing until the buttons finally lock up.

Lili's adrenaline and heart attacking palpitation caused her to fall on top of Asuka. The ebony didn't mind Lili anymore but she did sigh.

"Oh man, people will tease the two of us more with this!"

Lili giggled as she tried to stand up with her hands, placing them on top of Asuka's shoulder, the two of them got face to face. Without noticing it at first, they continued to laugh. When the laughing died out, awkwardness replaced it. Asuka gulped, looking at Lili's face so close, while the other girl was a bit to focus on looking at Asuka's face.

Lili sighed relief, before totally standing up. She pulled Asuka's blue gloves in her hand and adjusted the lock. "Let's go get those…uhm what do you usually call your enemies?" She asked turning her head from her shoulder.

Asuka was still in her post lying position in the bed, not even moving from where Lili left her. She raised her head after hearing Lili's question, as if she was just shook off from a deep thought.

"Huh?" Asuka muttered after raising her head up.

"Never mind, I was trying to copy you when you talk" Lili turned around and faced Asuka. She took the girl in the forearm and pulled her up to stand. "Come on, let's catwalk these babies to the audience." Lili slided her hand on Asuka's clothes that she was wearing, smiling like the genuine model walker she is.

Down at the Stadium, the fighters were already given numbers to fight. Asuka and Lili will come at last later on. They were seating at the waiting area inside a big black tent.

Inside the tent was all white. There was a table at the end center that had lots of drinks, snacks and packed noodles to eat on. On the left and right were mono block chairs where the players in waiting were seating. The entrance of the tent was closed, with a mini air cooler poking at the edge to provide cool air to the people inside.

There were only three pairs left, ExpressioDefinist, The Saboteurs and Bleach Heat.

The Saboteurs were a pair of two guys who always wears ripped sleeves polo and full of slashes pants. The two guy's hairs were army cut and black. Both had strong muscled bodies.

The Bleach Heat on the other hand is a pair of girls. They were both silver haired, tall and sexy, showing off their skin so much. It's either they're wearing bikini's or a bra and short skirt. Today they had the latter on.

The Bleach heat kept eyeing the two girls that were in front of them, Asuka was fixing the neckline of Lili's dress on her, and obviously it was choking her in the chest. Lili, meanwhile was examining the texture of Asuka's clothes. She was rubbing her fingers on the fabric.

"Hey" One of the Bleach girl's called out to the two. Asuka and Lili looked at the Bleach Girl's at the same time. "Are you really a couple like what they say?"

Asuka and Lili took a glance at each other; quickly they both blushed and averted eyes.

"NO, we're not" they said at the same time.

"So they were just rumors" The other Bleach girl exclaimed to her partner.

"Yeah, but the two of you look quite compatible to me" Both silver haired girls directed their faces at Asuka and Lili.

"Uhm, Thank You" Lili said to the two. Asuka shifted in her seat and pinched Lili's cheek.

"Why are you thanking them for that?" The ebony asked the blonde.

"But they were complimenting us, it was only natural to thanks them even if it wasn't true." Lili tried talking while Asuka was pulling her cheeks on both sides.

"You're not supposed to thank those kinds of compliments!" Asuka continued cheek pinching Lili, who returned the gesture in no time.

As the two were busy cheek pinching, the Bleach Heat continued to watch them.

"Fighting like an old married couple, exchanging clothes like lovers and blushing like first crushes…yup, they're perfect for each other" The two girls exclaimed.

The Saboteurs, who were seating at their right, gave them a thumb up and nodded profusely.

"Could you stop doing that while were still here!" Asuka and Lili shouted at the four, still holding on each other's cheeks.

Hours later, ExpressioDefinist and the Bleach Heat were the only pairs left for the day.

The two pairs were asked to climb the ring now. Facing one on one, they were just waiting for the signal of the game to start.

The audience of the stadium kept yelling and cheering. A complete girl on girl fight, everyone chattered. The boys were wolf whistling and spinning their t-shirts on their seats.

The silver haired girls kept giving winks and air kisses to the audience creating bigger noise from the crowd. Asuka and Lili gave dark glances at anyone who dared to look lusty on them.

The bell rings and it was time to fight.

The Bleach Heat girls were Hapkido and Gwobeop fighters. The Hapkido is a fighting style that combines dancing and karate, like Lili's style but without the elegancy. Gwobeop on the other side is a fighting style composed mainly of strong hand and arm power. Not much kicking but very strong punches.

Asuka faced the Hapkido user while Lili faced the Gwobeop. When the fights begins Lili was fast in executing the first punch, a direct two hand push in the Bleach girl's stomach. Asuka and the other Bleach girl had a bloodier fight. They both cartwheeled and do tumblings, creating a massive space eating. Lili and the other girl were simultaneously hitting each other while dodging Asuka and the other girl.

Asuka did a layout in the air and landed on her feet behind Lili, she held the blonde's hand, making Lili blush for a second. "I'll throw you to them" Asuka's eyes were concentrated on the Bleach girl's not far in front of her. "You launch the White Heron Dance and I'll perform each of them a Rafflesia."

Lili nodded her head, and brace for the throw. Asuka gripped Lili's hand, trying to put some force in her arm before launching her to the Bleach girls. Lili lands in front of the two, slightly bent on standing. She does the White Heron Dance, a move which lets her elbow punch the Bleach heats in the face, then knuckle punch them in the stomach before pulling up a heel kick to make them coil down.

Asuka in turn jumps up as Lili walks away from the Bleach girls. Taking each of the girl's in the neck, Asuka twist the hardest she can to get the loudest crack in her opponents bones.

The Bleach Heat fell unconscious on the floor ring. First day Tournament ends. One more win tomorrow and ExpressioDefinist will be the victor.

Asuka and Lili ate a big dinner at late night 10pm at the Monaco Express, enjoying their one match to go victory.

When they headed back to the hotel, the two of them were swaying left and right; having a bit of alcohol didn't hurt.

Lili was taking Asuka's clothes off of her, having a hard time since her dizziness wasn't helping her in unlocking the safety pin she had on her back.

Asuka was more than happy to take the white frill dress off, it was like breathing again. She threw the dress at Lili's backpack and was climbing on the bed now; Lili on the other hand, gave up and slept with Asuka's clothes on.

_THE LAST DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT_

The next morning, they were both surprised when they woke up. Asuka couldn't believe she slept with only her undergarments on and was even the one who was embracing Lili. The blonde girl on the other hand wasn't shock to wake up still in Asuka's clothes but rather, why Asuka was sleeping with her in nothing but that provocative blue underwear.

Asuka face palmed herself so hard while Lili got up and tried to calm down by washing her face in cold water at the bathroom.

An hour after that, Asuka and Lili drank coffee at the nearby café, the same place they ate steak the last time. Lili wasn't the type to drink coffee so she took hot choco instead. They did this to lower down their hangover.

"First off, we're not going to change clothes anymore, unless you have a dress that wouldn't choke me." Asuka blabbered while sipping her coffee little by little.

"Of course I wasn't planning on doing it again. I had a hard time ignoring the pin at my back, it totally overthrows my fashion."

"Psst" Asuka exhaled, she finished her coffee and put down the paper cup on the table. "And we are never going to drink alcohol and were alone, ever again."

"Agreed." Lili instantly said with a flustered face, hiding it in the cup of her Hot Choco.

By late afternoon of that day, the final tournament started.

Asuka and Lili were back to their own attires and were much more comfortable in fighting. The fight for the finals was a royal rumble. Each pairs will come out one by one, every pair left on stage will fight the next pair and so on, until only one pair remains standing. Note on the pair, no one will win if only a solo fighter wins.

Asuka and Lili were picked in the paper lottery to be the first team out. They have to expect, four other winning pairs from yesterday to be their opponent.

"Eight people, that's a low count" Lili confidently says.

Asuka chuckled at her. They were now on the ring, waiting for the first pair to come out. "And we don't even have to beat all of them. Throw one out of the ring and they lose."

Asuka shifted her head to face Lili. "You watch my back and I'll watch yours. Do everything you can to not be thrown out in the ring."

Lili smiled at Asuka. "I will, you take care too."

Asuka raised her hand facing Lili. "What is that?" Lili asked.

"A high five, a clap, do you know that?"

"Of course, I do" Lili answered, angry that Asuka was treating her like a naïve. She also raised her hand, and together they clapped their hands together. Too loud that even the audience heard the slap sound. Asuka and Lili shaked their hands in pain.

"Aw, you did it too hard." Asuka exclaimed looking more in pain.

"I'm glad I did because you would've gotten away yourself."

Before the two of them could argue more, the first opposing team had come out and jumped to the ring. The two girls readied their stance and were ready to battle.

The first pair is a guy and a girl, a kickboxer and a judo fighter.

The guy does the Judo now and the girl does the kickboxing. As expected, they were good. Asuka went one on one with the kickboxing girl while Lili had her solo with the Judo.

The kickboxer tried to attack Asuka by jumping on her but Asuka instantaneously dodges and catches the girl's feet in the air. Half bended in her feet, Asuka stood up and threw the girl in one swift. The pair loses and the next team comes out in a second.

This time they were a crazy pair of super tall, redhead women specializing in Shootfighting and Gouging. Both styles are American close combat fighting.

Asuka was having a hard time using Lili's style to fight with the gouging artist since the girl was really tall for her. Lili wasn't affected by their height since she was tall enough herself. She used the Kazama spinning kick and threw the redhead to the post of the ring. The redhead spilled blood in her mouth after her lips hit hard on the pole. She was still busy wiping her blood when Lili took her neckline and turned her around. The blonde did an uppercut on her, flying her body off the ring. Asuka and Lili tried doing the high five but they resorted to hurting the hands of one another, again.

The third pair was a Chinese Tai Chi Chua user with a Pakistani Pehlwani user.  
The Chinese had a long black kimono while the Pakistani was wearing brown pants and yellow long sleeves. His hair was hidden in a white turban. The Chinese used the Pehlwani on Lili, this style composed only of pushing the opponent to his limits. Imagine Sumo wrestling and you'll get it. Asuka was left to deal with the Pakistani who used Tai chi, a medical fighting technique that resembled the moves of wushu. Fending off Asuka to back away with his air fist punches, Asuka eventually stepped on the Chinese Kimono. Not realizing it yet, Asuka did a cartwheel to escape the Tai chi man who was getting closer to her. Her cartwheel caused the kimono to be pulled, slipping the Chinese on his back and tripping his partner in the process. Lili and Asuka looked at each other and nodded. Asuka grabbed the Tai chi user in his turban, throwing him from the head and outside the ring. Lili mopped the ring with the Chinese kimono, she spun and spun around until she let go and completely let the Chinese fall to the ground down the ring.

Now for the second to the last pair. A girl run to the ring and slipped the ropes, she went inside of the ring, wearing circus looking bra and panties with a golden short vest. She swung two rattan sticks. This was a fighting style called the Arnis. Her partner walked in, kicking high in the air and landing on one foot at the pole closest to where Asuka and Lili were standing. This guy was using the Shikaran fighting style. These partners style are both Philippine martial arts. The girl with the rattan sticks attacked Lili who used her hands as shield, but it was a bad choice, the force of the hit was too painful that Lili had to hold on her hand to seize it. Asuka pushed her to the back and used a layout kick to toss the rattan sticks away. Only one of the sticks were let go by the girl, and soon she used her other stick to strike Asuka, but the ebony was pulled in her vest by Lili. The rattan stick hits the floor of the ring. The utter force created a small rip in the foam padding and canvas mat floor. The girl couldn't pull the rattan stick out anymore. Lili pushed her off and used the stuck rattan stick as a pole, she holded on to it and spun her body, successfully kicking the girl. But her partner catches her, just edges before her full body goes out of the ropes. He leaves the girl to lean on one of the ring poles and did the signature Biakid kick of the Shikaran style.

The man aimed at Lili, he pivoted to the back in a complete turn, much like a spinning hook and targets the side of Lili's head. Much to his dismay though, Lili easily ducked the attack, slided in between his legs and kicked him with the heel of her boots in the crotch. The guys face screamed in pain, his hands slowly went to hold his crotch. Asuka helped Lili up as she came out behind the guy. Asuka made the final shot, she pulled the guys arms from behind, kicked him straight at the center of his back and pushed his feet to the end of the ring. The girl quickly came down after and took her partner's head, trying to wake him up. Asuka pulled the rattan stick still stuck on the floor ring and passes it to Lili, who in turn throws it to the girl, careful not to actually hit her.

The last pair that Asuka and Lili are faced to was the two vertically challenged guys in army suits. Since they were able to win the ten point's booster from before, Asuka and Lili had to throw them both off the ring to win the battle.

Even if they threw one out, the booster point will still make their pairing win if the other one is able to throw both Lili and Asuka out.

Asuka took on the Muay Thai user this time, knowing that he was the trickier of the two. Lili exchanged punches and overthrow kicks with the other guy, who she analyzed to be a Quan fa user. A Chinese style that depended more on the hands like Gwobeop but its movements were more of elbow and forearm rather than fist and knuckles.

Lili made heel kicks on the guy to loosen his balance on the floor. She then took him in the shoulder, lift him up and tossed him down the floor. He became move less at once and Lili used this chance to kick his body until it fell out of the ring.

Asuka was still dealing it with the Muay Thai user; her eyes slightly shifted to Lili and went back to the short guy in front of her. "Well, I guess you're the only one left." Asuka was about to do the Femme Fatale on the guy, ready to grab him in the right arm, but Lili suddenly intervened.

She stepped on Asuka's back, jumped up and kicked the Muay Thai user in the face.  
Falling straight in the floor, Lili took her boots off the guys face and did an exaggerated version of the Sacred Blade. A low down kick where you circle around your feet and kick the person fast.

The guy's body rolled out at the side of the ring. The bell rings again, and this time, it was pure victory.

Lili stood up and went in front of Asuka, directing out her hand to the ebony.

"I think I've finally mastered the Kazama style" She said with a proud smirk on her mouth.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Things are heating up... one more chapter before Xiayou appears!

**AsukaEnergetic1**: Good for you that your vacation has started :D and thanks for keeping with the story although it'll take a longer time for updates. :D

**Trapstarjohny: **Hey there, long time no...uhm, read? Hehe, honestly, glad to have you back on board of the AsuLili cruiseline where yuri and romance collides. (fireworks) Walang anuman sa iyo. (Welcome to you)(I'm filipino too) And I'm happy that this new story is as good for you as love gas. Thanks for keeping company even when the story gets longer to get updated.

* * *

**9) What a mysterious feeling...**

* * *

The ExpressioDefinist, a pair of two women who are both strong in body, emotion and belief. But that name isn't applicable anymore since the Revers Tournament is done and Asuka and Lili have won.

The property of the dojo in Tokyo was given in an envelope along with the keys and the fighting materials inside.

The Dojo was square and three floors high. It wasn't made of wood like the K-Osaka, instead it was all concrete, white and had big, long window glasses at the very fighting area which was the first floor.

The second floor had a sala area and a kitchen area with a big space left for the dining place. Unlike the first floor that had concrete flooring, the second floor was in tiles. The stairs leading to the third floor was just next to the stairs going down the first floor. When the two girls checked the third floor, there were six bedrooms up there, three at left and right with two bathrooms at the very end.

Asuka and Lili opened one of the rooms and saw that it was a meter thinner and shorter than Asuka's own bedroom. There was only a single bed at the right wall, with a chest box at its footboard. A big cabinet on the wall of the left and a small office table with a revolving chair.

Since the Revers competition only paid two weeks and two days of accommodation in the nearby hotel, Asuka and Lili went to the new dojo and decided to stay there for a day and go back to Osaka the day after.

After looking around the whole dojo, Asuka and Lili went out and ate a real steak house this time.

"Ah, the taste of victory" Lili squealed as she ate the first slice of her T-bone steak. The prime beef was grilled to rich brown and sautéed with Worcestershire – chive butter.

"Well, this is my thanks to you, for helping me win the tournament." Asuka said before eating her own steak. "Ahm" Asuka said instantly as the juicy flavor of the soft, soft beef melted in her tongue.

"I know right. This Asuka is true food." Lili said in a convincing way that Asuka just had to agree and gallop the steak with no reservations.

Although the two of them wanted to drink some wine, they back down on it after remembering what happened last time.

"Well, I guess we'll just go home now" Lili said, walking by Asuka's left side.

They were wearing black jeans with thick jackets. Lili had a violet puffy jacket and short yet high heeled white boots. Asuka was wearing a turquoise, much thinner jacket and a black bonnet on her hair and wore white converse shoes.

"Actually I think I have an idea where we can go to first" Asuka took Lili's hand and brought her to a place where Japan is most famous for.

The Public Hot Baths.

"Just. Go. In. Already" Asuka admonishes to Lili, pushing the blonde girl to enter the bathing area. The two of them were only wearing towels in their body and head.

Triumphantly, Asuka got Lili inside the bath area. It was a big indoor hot bath. There were two big pools of hot water with stone floors and the walls were made of high bamboos.

Asuka showed Lili to the open wash area, the place where people rinse before getting in the hot pool. Since Lili was still new to this, Asuka went ahead to show her the ways.

The ebony took her towels off and sat at one of the wooden chairs. She filled hot water into the plastic basin. Lili was looking but she was more focused on Asuka's body.

"Come here" Asuka called her, already wet haired from pouring the first fill of water basin.

Lili gulped and controlled her fast heartbeat; she carefully sits down at the wooden chair next to Asuka.

"You can't wear anything once you're inside the pool area." Asuka took Lili's towel and pulled it off the blonde's body.

Lili instantly covered herself with her arms and averted her eyes, her face was blushing red. Asuka looked confused at Lili, but at the same time, she couldn't help but find Lili's face…cute.

Lili's eyebrows were frowned so down and her lips were puckered. The steam of the hot bath made her reddish cheeks shine more and her white skin glower in heat sweat.

Lili shifter her head and saw how Asuka was looking absorbedly at her. They're eyes catch each other.

"What are you looking at?" Lili asked in a clearly shy voice while lowering her head.

Asuka shaked her head, and squeezed the bridge of her nose. She turned to the wash basin and took a big yellow sponge. She squeezed liquid soap on the sponge and put it on top of Lili's hand.

"You scrub my back and I'll scrub yours after." Asuka then turned around so that her back was facing Lili.

It took almost a minute before Asuka could feel the soft sponge touch her back. The soap dwindles down her skin as the sponge's movements go up and down. The two girls stayed quite the whole time. Asuka felt the awkwardness in the air, and eventually, she made Lili stop.

"Ok, so you turn around now." Asuka moved her finger in a circular fashion, if ever her low squished voice wasn't heard by Lili.

Lili handed her the sponge and turned around herself. Asuka placed the sponge at the very top of Lili's back; she squeezed it so hard that all the soap came dripping down to Lili's back. The blonde made a soft sound of surprise from the cascading feeling of water in her skin. Asuka found herself giggling and rubbing the sponge hard and without proper direction of where to go up or down.

"Oh my God, What are you doing? I did my best in scrubbing your back and this is what your repay me?" Lili complained as her back was pushing her front lower and lower to the floor. Asuka just wasn't scrubbing anywhere; she was also doing it so forcefully.

Asuka did a big splash of bubbles before lifting the sponge out of Lili's back. The blonde's hands were already touching the cement floor from being continuously pushed down in the back. She wasn't able to notice that Asuka was already lifting the basin of water on top of her. The ebony poured all the water on Lili, who straightened up in her seat and embraced her body from the shock.

Asuka filled the basin again, and this time, she poured it all to herself. The ebony shaked her head to whisk the dripping waters from the strands of her hair. Lili impishly covered her face with her hands, and looked away.

"Ugh, Asuka that's so improper, it's like you're a dog."

Asuka stopped whisking her hair and lifted her head, facing Lili. She used her hands to comb the messy wet hair in front of her face and brought it to the back.  
It was really a fast movement, but to Lili, it all seemed slow. Every movement from the finger combing to the image of Asuka's brown eyes staring at her with dripping bangs. Every movement of Asuka was in slow forward to Lili.

"Yeah, yeah, as if I ever cared what you think of me." Asuka took her hand out of her hair and shaked it to ket the water drip off. She suddenly took Lili's hair.

Holding the blonde hair from the roots beneath Lili's neck, she slided her hands down and pressured her grasp to let all the water in the hair drizzle out. She twists the hair at the end and lets another amount of water drizzle out before letting the blonde hair go.

She rubbed her palms together to clear the water in her hands and shifted her body to face the hot pools. She stood up and looked around at Lili. "Well then, let's go"

A minute later, both girls were at the pool side now. The bath house that Asuka choose was a little bit full now, there were a lot of girls in the pool and slowly Lili became more and more uncomfortable.

"Asuka, my body has fully relaxed, let's just leave NOW." Lili moved close to Asuka when a girl sat near her at the side. She was holding onto Asuka's hand and shaking it.

Asuka frowned to herself and stood up from the pool. Lili quickly followed her.

After half an hour.

Inside one of the bathrooms at the new dojo in Tokyo, Asuka was lying at the bath tub full of hot water and efficascent oil. The oil made the water turn into muddy green and the fragrance of the room into something so menthol and refreshing.

Lili was sitting above the tub at Asuka's foot. A towel was draped on her body while her feet were soaked in the tub, resting above Asuka's feet.

"Now isn't this more relaxing Asuka? The oil makes all your nerves loosen and the heat helps in curing muscle pains. The best of all, you don't have to share it with a bunch of strangers."

"I don't care about how you mock the Japanese hot baths but I'm loving this bath." Asuka was smiling so much with her eyes closed.

Lili had her chance to look at Asuka with the ebony not knowing it, and she did. She was playing her feet with Asuka, carrying the ebony's feet with her own then dropping it. Then she lets the fingers of their feet touch. Asuka wasn't complaining, she seemed to like it even. The ebony was chuckling every time.

Lili stopped her feet from playing anymore, and the bathroom kept quiet. Asuka looked like she sleeping in the tub already, but the constant smiling of her lips made Lili know that she was just immensely enjoying the water.

Lili stood up and walked her feet in the tub water. She shook Asuka in the head.

"Move over" She demanded before taking off her towel in front of Asuka. The ebony was surprised and completely turned around. Lili chuckled and slowly dipped her whole body on the tub.

They were both in the tub now, lying oppositely of each other. They had a hard time fitting with their bodies totally flat on the tub so they decided to sit up and curl their feet.

"I can just go out if you want to have a dip." Asuka said, readying to get up.

Lili shaked her head and stopped Asuka from leaving by lifting her feet at the side of the tub. Her feet obstructed Asuka's way out of the tub.

"It's ok; I don't like dipping for too long, you can just wait for me to leave again."

And so, they did just that. Both of them were averting their eyes from each other. It was thanks to the hot steam that they're blushes didn't look so visible.

After a couple of minutes, Lili shifted her eyes back at Asuka. Hell with the awkwardness, she said to herself. Her eyes looked up and down at Asuka.

The ebony was back to a relaxed state, she had her hands resting on top of the tub at each side. Her head was looking up at the ceiling.

"So, why didn't you want to share the Emilie style to the world? That would've gotten you a lot of attention."

Asuka was talking about the offer of the Revers Tournament to Lili. After their pairing's victory, the management of the games went crazy for asking what style was Asuka using. The ebony shared that it was a style created and used by only one person, her partner. Every game specialist and avid fight trainers would give anything for Lili to impart her style. If such a style could win international tournaments then it is worth the task of learning. Lili rejected every advancement in giving the basis of sharing or even studying her style. No one was more surprised than Asuka.

"If I agreed to what they wanted, decades later even before I die, my style is not going to be how I made it anymore. I don't want it to be changed, or to be tarnished in any way. It's my style, and I will keep it to myself only."

"I should've known that your reason is just your usual selfishness. How would your legacy even live to the next generation if you keep your style to yourself?"

Lili stretched her neck from left to right. "A lot of legends become legends because some part of their story, there's always a mystery unsolved, and my legacy's mystery is my style."

Lili stood up from the tub and took her towel at the nearby table where she threw it. After covering her body, she looked down at Asuka.

"You should be proud of yourself Asuka. No one in this world will ever learn the Emilie style but you and I both."

Asuka chuckled at the blonde. "Gosh, that's real prestigious of me to have; I guess I have no other words but to thank you, my elegancy."

"That was too formal" Lili said to Asuka, she had gone out of the tub now and was leaving the bathroom.

"Nope, one can never be too formal." Asuka said, mimicking Lili's voice and pressing her palms together and raising it diagonally beside her cheek.

"That is not how I sound like." Lili said with a straight voice. "I'll go to sleep now, but first of all, welcome _ma bien - aimee_"

"What does the last part mean?" Asuka asked quizzically.

Lili smiles and shakes her head; she doesn't answer Asuka and continued to leave the bathroom.

The next morning, Asuka and Lili boarded the 7am plane back to Osaka. Asuka carried Lili's stuff, since it was part of the apology list that Lili made her commit to.

The ebony pulled the cart where their stuff was placed while Lili at her right. They were both wearing civilian clothes.

Asuka was wearing black mini shorts and sandal shoes. Her T-shirt was white while her jacket was red. Lili on the other hand was wearing flesh colored pants and white high heeled shoes. Her blouse was sleeveless and half backless from the top with a turtle neck.

Lili was walking on her model way and wearing a pair of big black shades. Her lips curled to a smile as she and Asuka saw the tons of people waiting for their comeback. The guys of the K-Osaka dojo bowed down to their feet in front of the two girls.

"Bless you, our goddesses!" They shouted in scratchy thick voices.

The people in the airport were stealing glances at their direction. Lili was bit embarrassed now after feeling so great a while ago. She pushes her elbow on Asuka's arm.

The ebony rolled her eyes and motioned the guys to stop bowing and to help her with the little luggage they had. The men in kimono's stood up and loaded their stuff inside the ferry.

The ferry arrives at the docking station of Osaka in less than an hour; the men of the dojo went down first before lending a hand to Asuka and Lili. Neither of the two accepted their help. The two girls went to the side of the ship and jumped on their own; they landed at their feet on the same time and got to the van first before the men even did.

Lili was seating beside the window with Asuka on her other side. For the whole hour trip back to Asuka's house, the ebony gave Lili some information about the places they were passing by in the roads.

Lili was listening as hard as she could but she gets distracted now and then. She was facing the open window with the cold air slapping her in the face, Asuka was talking above her, and the ebony's hands were on top of her shoulders, talking with glee about her hometown.

As they arrived at the Kazama residence, Asuka and Lili were welcomed by double the tons of people, walking in and out of the house. Mr. Kazama shortly came out and greeted the two girls.

"There are our winners. Everybody, please give your claps to my daughter Asuka and her partner, Lili. The winners of this year's international Revers Tournament."

The people around applaused and cheered for the girls, some were clapping, some were yelling with their hands up and congratulating the two girls. Both of them were a bit embarrassed and real happy to accept it, so they just gave a big general thanks to everyone.

Mr. Kazama went closer to the two, he opened up his arms to Asuka, the ebony quickly jumped and hugged him.

"You did well, Asuka. As always"

"I couldn't win the tournament if Lili wasn't there to help me."

Mr. Kazama nodded and smiled at Lili. The father and daughter broke their hug. Asuka's father faced Lili and offered her an embrace too. Lili had a mild blush in her cheeks. She's never been close to another man than her father and Sebastian, and she has never embraced any man but them. Meekly and slow, Lili accepted the congratulating embrace from Mr. Kazama.

The man felt Lili's reluctance and gave his best to ease her. He patted Lili's back and said something to her in a low voice.

"Thank you Lili, I must say I'm more awed at how the two of you were able to cooperate throughout the whole games than actually winning. Thank you, for not letting us down."

Lili giggled at the back of Mr. Kazama, and soon, the father giggled with her. Asuka, was standing at their side, not able to hear what her father said with the noisy atmosphere.

"Dad, you told her something about me didn't you?" Asuka asked her father.

Mr. Kazama and Lili separated from the hug. The father cleared his throat and ignored his daughter; he turned his back and went inside the house to give orders to the workers. A big party for the victory of Asuka and Lili at the Revers was being hosted tonight. A lot of neighboring dojo tenants is going to attend, and that in its own nature is enough for the two girls to be uninterested in coming to their own victory party.

As soon as the night comes, more people came flocking at the Kazama residence. Loud music was playing downstairs and since the house was fairly small to fit a lot of guests, many of them were outside the front yard.

Asuka and Lili were lying at Asuka's bed. Asuka was reading a comic book while Lili was lying with a pillow on top of her head. The music downstairs becomes louder. Lili took the pillow off her head and stood up sitting.

"Ugh, they're so noisy" She said in an irritated tone.

"You should thank heavens that Dad's using my usb or else you'll be listening to 80's Japanese songs." Asuka told the blonde, while still reading her comics.

"It doesn't matter if its old songs or new songs, I don't understand anything in what they're saying. And does your singers here all sound average?"

Asuka rolled her eyes at Lili then back to her comic book. She closed the book in her hands and placed it at the end of the bed.

"Why? Are you such a good singer?"

Lili smiled with great pride. "A great singer, I've won competitions to fill my whole lifetime."

Asuka was about to say something again, but Lili raised a hand in front of her. "But I'm not going to show it to you."

Asuka twitched her face at Lili. "Why not?"

"I haven't sung in a long time ever since I chose fighting. I've only been doing it when I'm alone so I can't sing to anyone, anymore."

Asuka sighed. "Well, it's not like I can force your voice to come out." Unconsciously, Asuka stretched her hands upward and looked at her window, her eyes widened after realizing something.

"Hey, do you want to try something new?" Asuka had an excited tone while asking Lili.

"As long as it doesn't involve getting dirty, I may as well try it."

Asuka smiled big at Lili before pulling her in the wrist to the front of the window.  
The window was at the end of the room. It was a two framed window that can be opened to a big rectangular exit. Asuka pushed the frames until they reach the walls at the side. She climbed to the window and stood up at the very frame, she turned her body, facing the roof of the house.

Lili was standing in front of the window; horror took her as soon as she realized what Asuka wanted to do. "Oh, no" She said, trying to get away from the window but Asuka felt her walking and bended her body. The ebony held onto a pipe at the side of the house while her other hand took Lili's hand.

"Hey, come on, this isn't dirty, I promise you."

Lili looked back and saw Asuka. She tightened her hold on Asuka's hand. "Be careful you idiot, you might fall."

"You're the reason I'm in this position. Unless you agree to go up, I won't move from here."

Lili couldn't help but to agree now. She felt like her heart was going to burst from fear that Asuka may actually fall off the window. She did her best to guide Asuka who was carefully standing up in the frame again. She watched the ebony get to the roof by putting both her hands on top of the roof and pushing her whole body up until her feet can climb the roof as well.

Lili felt her breathe come back only when Asuka was able to fully stand up at the roof. She exhaled a great air of relief before Asuka called to her.

"Now you do it" The ebony stated while extending her hand to Lili.

The blonde wanted to get back at Asuka so she ignored her help and decide to climb up on her own. She did it as how she saw Asuka do it, and it went well except for the part that her feet landed on a bunch of leaves that made her slip. He body bended slowly to fall to the ground but Asuka swiftly got her forearm and pulled Lili to her.

The force of her pull was so hard that their bodies immediately embraced. Asuka wrapped her arms on Lili's back.

Lili had a shock look on her face while panting. "That was so close."

"Yeah, don't worry but as long as you're with me, you're never going to be in danger."

Lili had calmed down enough to realize that Asuka was embracing her. She lifted her hands on the side and tried to pull away.

"Really, you would say that after being the one to make me come up here?" Lili pointed her finger at the roof beneath their feet.

Asuka raise her shoulders. "I was lending you my hand from the first time."

"That doesn't change anything."

"AH! Whatever fits your boat" Asuka exclaimed, she sat down at the roof in a big bang that Lili felt the shaking of the metal shingles in her feet. She looked angrily at Asuka before sitting down near her.

Every few seconds, Lili would scoot nearer and nearer to Asuka until their elbows touch one another. They were both sitting with their feet close to their chests and their hands above their knees.

The music from inside the house was less audible outside, although the noisy chatters of people at the front yard was still audible.

Asuka slightly peek on the crowd below, she saw familiar faces of her father's friends and some are even their relatives from nearby. But what caught her great attention was the half bottle of wine left on the table just facing directly down her.

Asuka smiled and turned to Lili. "Stay here, I'm just going to get something."

Lili had a disagreeing expression in her face but Asuka had fastly left her after saying that. Lili tried to calm herself and just waited for Asuka to come back. A minute later, Asuka's hands appear at the roof, Lili crawled close and help the ebony climb faster. When Asuka's body had stood up from the roof, she walked closer to the side where the bottle of wine was placed below.

She went down on her knees and took out a long rope with a loop at the end. Lili went beside Asuka and saw how the ebony made the bottle's head come inside the loop. Asuka tightened the loop on the wine's body head and little by little she lifted the bottle to them.

When the bottle was already in front of them, Asuka made Lili get it. The blonde took the rope loop off the bottle and handed it to Asuka.

The ebony twisted the cap and raised the bottle. "Cheers" She said and gulped the first drink.

"Here, your turn" She passed the bottle to Lili. The blonde seemed reluctant to drink it. Lili stared at the mouth of the bottle.

"You have a knack for breaking your own rules." Lili said looking at Asuka and deciding to drink on the bottle as well.

"I'm not breaking it; I said we can't drink when we're alone. Look at all the people down there" Asuka points her whole hands to the front yard full of people.

Lili nodded before drinking from the bottle again. "I'll be going home to Monaco tomorrow. My training programs done and I miss my daddy already."

Asuka stole the bottle of wine from Lili. "Oh, yes the princess is going to be out of my hairs!" She yelled lowly before gulping the wine. As she put the bottle down, she wiped her mouth and looked at Lili. "No, I'm just kidding."

Asuka played with the bottles body in her hands. "I know we always start wrong and we always fight and don't understand each other, sometimes. But I want you to know that…"

Lili was listening intently to Asuka, waiting for her next word. The ebony could feel the deep look of Lili to her. She gulped in her throat before saying the next thing.

"I like you"

Lili's face didn't change but her heart skipped a beat. A long, loud beat went missing.

"..And" Asuka continued. "I wish you learned to like me too even if I 'am a jerk in a lot of ways and irritating and always making you do things you don't want. The truth is, I don't have that many friends and I've never been closer to anyone but you."

Lili was quiet the whole time; her heart skipping has stopped by half of Asuka's continuation. The blonde looked down to the roof floor and closed her eyes. She was stopping the feeling of upset to take over her, the feeling of upset that she doesn't even know where it's coming from. Once it felt like she could take it, her eyes opened and slowly she raised her head back at Asuka.

"Alright, I'll take your friendship Asuka. Although you're the only friend I have that berates me to nonstop." That was the only thing Lili could say back to Asuka. She wanted to say more but she couldn't form the right words, because there were different words to be said based on what she feels. She couldn't say she liked Asuka too, she could feel it deep within her, that wasn't the right words to say how she feels.

They looked at each other's eyes from there and suddenly without a signal, Lili leans her face close to Asuka and kisses her in the cheek.

The ebony's body jolted in surprise, and quickly her face turned red and warmth travelled in every fiber of her body. Lili instantly backs away and smiled at Asuka.

"In Monaco, we always give those cheek kisses to our friends"

Asuka still had that surprise in her face, her head nodded accordingly to Lili, though her thoughts were still blank.

There was no doubt that mutually they felt something different in that moment.  
The feeling that Lili had when she kissed Asuka.  
The feeling that Asuka had as Lili kissed her.

The feeling wasn't wrong, bad or uncomfortable; it was just mysterious to the both of them.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **This chapter has a music fic part, as you've read, Lili said she is a great singer, so expect her to sing sometimes in this fic, and this is the first time. This is the first time I wrote a music fic too, so go easy on me there.

_The song for this chapter is Brokenhearted by Karmin_

**AsukaEnergetic1**: I think you'll get my intentions after reading this chapter ;D well, not all of them...

**Trapstarjohny: **I'm totally happy I was able to get you imagine them clearly and thanks for not telling the french part, it will play a part in the latter chapters.  
And I also think its cool we're both filipino's :D.

**AsuLili: **You're welcome for the good stories, I'm more than happy to share them. And thank you for also loving love gas and saying that this is as good as it, cause it means I haven't failed in bringing the beauty of AsuLili in stories. :D

* * *

**10) And so I wait,**

* * *

Lili stood up after having enough of staring with Asuka. She walked close to the edge of the roof and turned back to the ebony.

"It's getting cold now; let's get back to your room."

Asuka shaked her head to get her thoughts back. She crawled next to Lili and moved her feet down to reach the top of her bedrooms window.

"I'll help you." Lili said, taking Asuka's hand as the girl searched for the platform of her window with her feet.

When the two of them got down of the window, Asuka went and shut the door of her bedroom. The loud sounds of the party were hardly audible now. Lili was standing at the side of the bed; she tilted her head to point the bed. "You get on the bed first"

Asuka walked closer to Lili, she climb her one foot on the bed and stretched her arm to reach for one of the pillows. Lili looked at her confusingly, and suddenly Asuka smashed the pillow on her face.

Not expecting it at the least, Lili's body fell straight to the floor and quickly stood up sitting again, letting the pillow in her face to fall down on top of her lap. She looked at Asuka who was now standing in front of the computer; she took the wire of her speaker and connected it to her cellphone.

The key press sounds was heard loudly in the speakers and a second later, loud music plays. Asuka walked back to Lili and took the pillow from the blonde's lap. She carried the white cushion like a sword resting on the back of her neck.

"You're going home tomorrow and you want us to sleep early? I don't think so."

She slapped the pillow on Lili's face again. "Aren't you going to hit me too?" Asuka teased the blonde.

Lili placed her hand on the side of the bed and tried to stand up; she took the pillow from behind her at the bed and hit it directly at Asuka's stomach. "Take that"

Asuka was pushed by the force but she strengthened the balance on her feet to avoid falling down completely. "I won't go down that easily."

The two of them smashed their pillows together, making sprinkles and sprinkles of tiny cotton rain inside the bedroom.

"Oh,no! My pillows" Asuka shouted.

"Don't look at me, you started it!" Lili shouted back at her.

Outside of the house, above the people celebrating at the front yard and below the moon that was shining in a whole circle, the two girls all night laughter was carried in the air. Along with white cotton balls flying in the cold night wind, showering the celebrants who have gone drank and thought that it was snowing in summer.

The next afternoon after lunch, Asuka came to the airport to see Lili off. She was the one pulling the trolley full of Lili's luggage's. She accompanied Lili until the embassy before handing the blonde her trolley.

"Take care, princess" Asuka said in a cool voice.

"I will, you take care too Asuka"

The two of them were acting shy to one another. Asuka was swinging her hands while Lili was grasping tighter to the trolley's handle. Lili breathed deep and tried to give her genuine smile. "So, I'll be going now" She raised her passport and ticket on her hand.

"Yeah" Asuka only said while nodding her head.

The ebony also breathed deep before she snapped her head to the right and staring straight again. Her chest heaved upward as her nose inhaled air. She inched closer to Lili and opened her arms, embracing the blonde around her abdomen and hands at the side.

Lili was stiff in that moment, and even with Asuka's loose hug on her body, her hands at the side couldn't move. After a few seconds, Asuka stopped hugging Lili and walked away for a few distance between them.

"See you, whenever that'll be" Asuka said before turning her body back and fast walking away, waving her hand back at Lili.

The blonde watched her new friend leave and she felt more melancholic than happy to go home. She didn't feel like leaving at all, she didn't like seeing Asuka leave her. Most of all, her feelings were very heavy because of the knowledge that she doesn't know when or where will she and Asuka will meet again.

"Asuka!" Lili yelled without coursing the thought in her mind.

The ebony stopped running and looked back at her.

_Now what do I do?_ Lili asked herself.

Asuka looked confused from afar and slowly walked back to Lili. "What is it?" She said upon getting close to Lili.

"I…uhm…cellphone" Lili said in an up tone.

"You left your cellphone in the house?" Asuka asked her.

"No" Lili said, shifting her head from left to right. She saw a nearby information booth and run to it. Asuka just stood in front of Lili's lugagge's.

When Lili came back, she pressed a small sheet of paper on Asuka's palm.

"That's my phone number. PROMISE ME, you will text or call me, sometimes."

Asuka looked at the digits on the paper. "Ok, promise me you'll reply?"

"I will!" Lili answered excitedly, sandwiching Asuka's hands in her own.

They both didn't move for a moment there. The boarding announcement for Lili's plane caught the blonde's attention; she took her hands off Asuka's and placed them inside the gray overcoat she was wearing.

Her hand went to the trolley's pulley. For a second her head was bowed down and her hands kept rubbing the handle inward and outward. She looked back at Asuka and kissed the girl in the cheek.

"Au revoir, Asuka." She said with a forced smile and quickly left, almost running.

The ebony stood still at her position, playing the small piece of paper in her fingers. A pair of old people walked closely behind her.

"Oh, my, she and that girl must be lovers." The old people whispered loudly.

Asuka didn't flinch at the thought like she always did, instead she gave a smile while closing her hands on the paper. "Not again" She said as she giggled and straddled out of the airport.

Lili arrived the next morning at Monaco. It was surprising for her that the car that picked her up was her father's old Audi. Sebastian came out of the driver's seat and greeted his mistress.

"Welcome back, Ms. Lili"

The blonde eyed her butler, wearing improper uniform. The old man wasn't in a tuxedo anymore; he was only wearing dark brown pants and a long sleeve white shirt.

"Sebastian, why are you using daddy's spare car?" Lili asked more concerned of the reason behind the whereabouts of her beloved limousine than the wrong dress code of her butler.

Sebastian had a solemn face as he answered the question of his mistress. "The limousine is no more Ms. Lili"

"Why? Was it stolen?"

The butler shaked his head lightly and opened the passenger door at the back. "I will let Mr. Rochefort explain it to you."

Lili saw that Sebastian was the only there, the young driver she had back then wasn't there too. She pulled her trolley next to the car and told Sebastian that she can put her things in the compartment by herself.

Half an hour later at Lili's home, the blonde was welcomed with a big change in the Rochefort Mansion. Most of their properties were missing and even the dozens of car's were down to one, and that was the old Audi she just rode in. She walked at the large façade outside before their very house; the landscape gardens have been primarily unkept. The flowers were dying and the very small amounts of left green grass have grown so tall, the little ones have died in the color of brown.

There were no more maids to open the large doors for the lone mistress as she pushed the entrance herself. The cabinets around the hallway were gone. The paintings on the walls were gone. The red carpet entrance was foggy and didn't look so red anymore. Lili made her way to her father's office. Gone were the men in suits to open the doors, but it was a good thing that they were open right now.

Lili went inside and again, a lot of things are nowhere to be found inside the office. The chandelier wasn't there anymore; Lili looked up at the dome and saw that the hole of the chandeliers attachment was the only thing left there.

Her eyes then travelled a little lower to the mezzanine library, the books, all of them have disappeared, and the shelves have become dusted. The cabinets of gold were dismounted, creating tons of openings in the four walls of the room. Lili had nothing to see there and travelled her eyes to the place where Mr. Rochefort table is.

The blonde man didn't have a grand presidential table anymore and was only seating at a normal swivel chair. He was wearing black slacks and gray long sleeve polo.

"Daddy" Lili called to her father who was writing and reading a bunch of papers simultaneously.

The man raised his head and saw his daughter. The crests on his forehead slowly softened as his face formed a smile that must've been missing from him for the past weeks.

"Emilie, I'm glad you're back princess."

Lili had sadness upon seeing her father looking so stressed and tired. She went closer to him and stood at his side. Mr. Rochefort adjusted his seat to face his daughter, taking both Lili's hands in his own.

"Daddy, you should rest, you look so tired."

Lili countered her father's hold on her hand and squeezed the man's obvious fatigued hands. Mr. Rochefort smiled more brightly; he raised his right hand and touched his daughter's white cheeks.

"How I miss having you here, this house is very lonely without its princess. Have you eaten already?"

Lili smiled back at her father and embraced him in the head. "I miss you more Daddy, I told you to call me if there was ever a problem, what happened here?"

Mr. Rochefort took Lili's arms and gently moved his daughter away. "You know how we've become bankrupt by the Mishima right?"

Lili nodded her head.

"Well, they've decided to also take the mini businesses we had, so in order to keep the house and going completely broke I sold most of the things in the house. But don't worry Lili, I would never sell any of your stuff. The limousine will be the first and last."

Lili shaked her head, "Daddy, you sold almost everything you own, it'll be selfish of me to not give up some of mine."

Mr. Rochefort widened his eyes and gave out a light chuckle. "Well, I can some fruit in your trip to japan. Who taught you of being unselfish?"

"Well…" Lili started but Mr. Rochefort made her stop.

"On second thought, I want to hear everything about your trip there. Let's go over it at lunch?" The man stood up from his seat and offered his daughter his arm to hold on.

Lili smiled at her father's actions and looped her hand on her father's arm. They walked down the dining area. The table there wasn't that big anymore, neither was it made from furnished wood oak, it was only a six seater glass table now.

As before though, Lili and her father sat oppositely on both ends of the table.

Meanwhile in Japan, it was already dinner time. Mr. Kazama sat at the head table while his daughter sat at the seat to his left.

"Tell me Asuka, how was your whole trip in Tokyo?"

At different countries, at different times, and with each father listening, the two girls shared their experience.

"It was great, except for the fact that I was with the most boyish and highly inelegant person in the world." Lili said to her father, slicing the chicken roast in her plate.

"The trip would've been awesome if I weren't with the world's most elegant woman and highly girly girl." Asuka talked while swinging her chopsticks in the air, swishing some of her ramen's soup.

"Daddy it was so hard, she kept waking me up so early" Lili sliced the chicken harder.

"And she always finds a way to make me sleep late and wake up late" Asuka slurped a bunch of noodles.

"Her fashion is so out, she shouldn't be showing off those many skin in her mini shorts and open navel t-shirts, as a girl, you should be conservative enough to only show the proper amount of skin."

"Her choice of clothing is too extravagant, why does she need to keep wearing clothes and dresses that hide her figures? I've seen her body many times and it's stupid that she doesn't show it off with those closed, conservative girly dresses."

Lili bitted the first chunk in her chicken, and swallowed it before continuing. "Oh, and that hair! It's too short for a girl, and she never combs it and just let it swing in every direction."

Asuka kept talking even with noodles in her mouth. "Don't get me started with the blonde hair, it's freaking too long that she spends almost half an hour to comb it! And she just loves whipping it in the air, I mean, it's like she thinks she's willow smith" Asuka made the effort of acting like whipping her own hair to copycat Lili.

"But don't ever judge her just because of that, because she's really cool Daddy. She is a lot of times stronger than me, and that's something because I'm mostly the strongest girl I know and she learned the Emilie style like an elementary subject." Lili talked as she kept slicing the chicken to smaller pieces. Mr. Rochecfort listened with one eyebrow raised.

"Yet even if she's like that she's really awesome. It took me years to perfect the Kazama style but she did it in weeks. She gets the weirdest ideas ever that sometimes it's amazing how a girl like her had such fun ideas in mind. I always thought the only thing she knew was to brag and complain but she told me she can even sing! Although I haven't heard her myself." Mr. Kazama watched his daughter with a quizzical look.

The two girls stopped talking for a while and realized the amount of things they've said already.

"And that's all I could think of." They said to their father's, raising their heads before finishing what they were eating.

"Trust me, I've heard enough." The two fathers said while sighing and not letting it get to their minds.

Moments later, Lili got to her bedroom and saw that it was the only part of the Rochefort mansion that still looked the way it was before.

Sebastian came in after her, rolling the two pink suitcases inside. Lili fell down to her bed and took her cellphone out. There were no messages or calls. She growled at the screen and turned her body to bury her face on the covers of the bed.

Sebastian was asking her if she needed anything else but Lili wasn't answering, the butler went closer beside the bed and realized that the blonde had fallen asleep.

By the middle of the night, Lili woke up still in the position she was in when she first laid in the bed. Her hand was still holding her cellphone. She remembered waiting for a text or call from Asuka. Suddenly, her heart beat excitingly, she was expecting to receive something now, but to her disappointment there was still nothing.

She stood up from her bed and saw that it was 2 am in the morning. Everyone's asleep now, so she had an idea on what she can do to waste time.

Opening up her speakers, she placed a disk in and played a song. Walking lightly in the room as the tone starts, she began singing on the first lyrics.

_This is more than the typical kinda thing  
_she sat at the edge of her bed while singing the first line.

_Felt the jones in my bones when you were touching me, uh oh  
_She ran her fingers to her left arm until it reached her shoulder.

_Didn't wanna take it slow  
_her hands grasped her dressed and crumpled them in a fist.

_In a daze, going crazy, I can barely think_  
_You're replaying in my brain, find it hard to sleep, uh oh  
_She giggles as she remembers Asuka trying to make her sleep when she can't

_Waiting for my phone to blow_  
_Uh oh yep  
_She looks at her phone again.

_Now I'm here in a sticky situation  
Got a little trouble, yep and now I'm pacing  
Five minutes, ten minutes, now it's been an hour  
Uh don't wanna think too hard, but I'm sour_  
She let her body fall back to the bed and kept turning from left to right.

_Uh oh, I can't seem to let you go_  
she laid straight and looked up at her canopy bed.  
_  
See, I've been waiting all day  
For you to call me baby  
So let's get up, let's get on it  
Don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight  
Come on, that's right  
_She sang with her feet curled up and her hand above her eyes. Shaking her head once in a while.

_Honest baby, I'll do anything you want to_  
_So can we finish what we started_  
_Don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight_  
_Come on, that's right, cheerio  
_She stood sitting in her bed and stared at her phone again.

_What's the time, such a crime  
Not a single word, sipping on a Patrón  
Just to calm my nerves, uh oh  
Poppin' bottles by the phone  
Oh yeah  
_She walked her way to the window and opened it frames.

_Had me up, had me down, turn me inside out  
That's enough, call me up  
Maybe I'm in doubt, uh oh  
I don't even think you know, no no  
_She then looked up to the roof and said No way in her thoughts.

_See, I've been waiting all day  
For you to call me baby  
So let's get up, let's get on it  
Don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight  
Come on, that's right  
_She turned around and continued singing, looking at her bedroom.

_Honest baby, I'll do anything you want to  
So can we finish what we started  
Don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight  
Come on, that's right, cheerio  
_She wandered around the window.

_Anything you wanna do, I'll be on it too_  
_Everything you say is like go with the view_  
_Business on the front, party in the back_  
_Maybe I was wrong, was the outfit really wack?  
_And walked again, this time, facing the full mirror at the end side of her bed.

_This kinda thing doesn't happen usually_  
_I'm on the opposite side of it, truthfully_  
_I know you want it so come and get it, cheerio  
_She then came back at lying down on the bed, she gets her phone and look at it again.

_See, I've been waiting all day_  
_For you to call me baby_  
_So let's get up, let's get on it_  
_Don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight, ohhhohohhhoohhhh_  
_Honest baby, I'll do anything you want to_  
_So can we finish what we started_  
_Don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight_  
_Come on, that's right, cheeri, cheerio  
_Now she was raising the phone on top of her face, just staring at it throughout the whole chorus.

_When you gonna call_  
_Don't leave me broken hearted_  
_I've been waiting up_  
_Let's finish what we started, oh oh_  
_I can't seem to let you go_  
_Come on, that's right, cheerio, uh!  
_She held her phone in both hands and threw it to the side after the song ends.

When the full morning comes in Monaco, Sebastian enters Lili's room, seeing his mistress sitting at the center of her bed, looking at her cellphone that was on top of her lap.

"Ms. Lili?" He asks cautiously in worry.

"Yes, Sebastian?" Lili answers him without taking her sight off the phone.

"May I know what you're doing?"

A long minute passes and Lili doesn't answer.

"Uhm..Ms.-

"I told her to call me or just even text me…" Lili cut straight on her butler's words.

"Who is her? Ms. Lili?" Sebastian inquired again.

Lili breathed deep before exhaling the name. "Asuka freaking Kazama"

Sebastian tried to remember where he's heard that name before and smiles as he got it.  
"Isn't that the girl you treat as your rival that didn't care less and you staged a fake gang fight just to get her attention?"

Lili's body shuddered in the embarrassing memory and felt more hot headed than ever. "Sebastian" She said, shifting her head lightly to face the butler. "Keep your words to yourself"

Sebastian didn't take the words in bad way and just smiled at his mistress. Lili on the other hand looked at her phone and felt irritated that she wasn't receiving anything from Asuka.

She took the phone in her hands and let her anger get to her. Little by little, her hands tighten around the phone until the screen cracks and housing breaks into pieces.

Sebastian was shocked behind Lili. "Ms. Lili, how will she call you now that you've broken your phone?"

The blonde looked angry at her broken phone and just tossed it on the floor. "Then I'll just buy a new one! And I'll never give that Asuka my number again!"

Sebastian went close to the broken phone and attempted to take it, but Lili stopped him.  
"Sebastian, just please leave me alone."

The old butler took his hand back and bowed to Lili before leaving the room and closing its door.

Lili changed to Indian sitting. She exhaled a long heavy sigh and looked at her broken cellphone in the floor.

_This is worser than being a spoiled brat._

She moved closer to the side of her bed and took the broken cellphone.

_Now that I think about it, she might not have a romancing line that's why she couldn't text me or call me yet…well even if she gets one now she won't be able to reach my number…._

Her head leaned to bow as she placed her palm on her forehead.

_I have never felt this miserable in my life…just not getting a message from her is getting to me…It's always her…only her that I've been thinking about…_

Lili raised her head up and went to the trash can, throwing her phone away.

_Well, there goes my last hope of ever hearing from you, Asuka…_

The blonde head stared at the trash can for a long time, with her eyebrows bending down and her mouth straight.

"Or is it?" Her voice became bright all of a sudden. Lili turned her eyes to her suitcases still unpacked. She opened and closed her hand to a fist, and then she finally decided to do what she really wanted.

She marched to the telephone inside her room and dialed a call. "Hello, I'm buying an impromptu ticket for Osaka, Japan; do you have one in the next hour?"

The telephone clerk at the other line made Lili wait for almost a minute before coming back. "There is one, but you need to pay for an extra fee and be here half an hour before it takes off."

Lili had double thoughts, she couldn't spend that much money but her determination to get back there was still so strong that she knew she needed to do this.

"That's fine with me, I'll take it." She said in a strong voice. She will just have to use her own savings to pay for this trip.

After the clerk insures her trip and ticket, Lili took her luggage's and rolled them to her father's office.

"Daddy" She said, walking fast to him with her suitcases following behind.

"Emilie? Why are you pulling your suitcases?" The man asked in a surprise while stopping from writing.

"I'm going back to Japan" Lili said directly.

"What?" Mr. Rochefort asked, standing up in his seat. "You just came home yesterday" His hands opened in front of him, looking at his daughter with full confusion.

"I know, but I left something unresolved there, and unless I face it and fix it, I will never be sane in this house." Lili let go of her suitcases and embraced her father.  
"I will come back as soon as I can daddy, and maybe by that time I can bring someone I want you to know."

She broke away fast after that and called for Sebastian to take her to the airport. When the butler was about to enter the car, Mr. Rochefort shut the door.

"Sebastian, are you sure we have to let her do this?"

The old butler looked at Lili in the passenger window; the blonde was licking her lips and as she looked out straight, not noticing Sebastian looking at her.

"I know you are her father, Sir and I will only do what you think is right, but I believe that if the mistress thinks it is important to resolve something, then it is."

Mr. Rochefort still looked unconvinced and took a glance of his daughter, he shaked his head and scratched the back of it. He knocked on the passenger window and waited for Lili to slide it down.

"Ok, I'll let you go but be sure to resolve what you need to. I trust you Lili, don't do anything to make me sad." Lili's father nodded at his daughter and signaled Sebastian that they could go.

Lili poked her head out and waved goodbye to her father. "I will resolve it Daddy, I promise" She shouted, and looked at her father's encouraging smile.

Lili's chest tightened and slowly she stopped waving to her father and put her hand down. She slipped her head back inside the car and closed the window. Her hands clutched the fabrics of her frill dress as she bowed her head down.

_But I think I will make you sad…_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Ok, so Xiayou finally appears in this chapter and will be a part of the story until the end!^^

**AsukaEnergetic1**: It is kind of funny how they're father's asked about the trip and the only thing they told was about each other XD , Xiao finally appears here!

**Trapstarjohny: **I've been imagining it for days how cool it is for Lili to sing so I wrote her a singing part and there'll be more in the future. This chapter holds the answers to your questions :D

* * *

**11) Lucid Dreaming**

* * *

Lili barely makes it to her flight and pays for the ticket at the passport checking. She arrives back at Japan after fifteen hours. The exact time at Osaka was now 11 pm. Lili was standing a few steps away from Asuka's house. Staring at the window where Asuka's room is. There was no light in the whole house which means that Asuka and Mr. Kazama must be asleep now.

She was under the street lights with her suitcases and rubbing her hands from the cold. She breathed smoky air in her gloves and tried to make some sense in her situation.

_This is crazy! I come running here and now I don't feel so sure what am I supposed to do. _

She moved away from her suitcases and went near the black gate with the silver placard of Kazama glued on the center. Lili heard her heart beat so loud and fast while raising her hand to knock on the gate. Her knuckles felt the cold metal beneath her thin gloves.

She breathed in and out before knocking. One, two, three knocks and not one light in the house opened.

"Well, I guess they're asleep." She said as she turned around quick and tried to walk back to her stuff.

"Lili?" A familiar voice called out her name, coming from somewhere high. Lili immediately shifted her head to the back and raised it upward, seeing Asuka's shadow standing on the roof.

A quick fear went to Lili's chest; she turned her body again to face the front of the house. "Why are you there?" She asked with a worried tone.

Asuka came closer to the edge. "Hey, don't walk anymore, it's too dark, what if you fall!" Lili shouted without caring about the neighborhood.

Asuka stopped walking, just one more step before the very edge of the roof's gutter.

"I was trying to call your phone, I thought that there'd be better coverage up here…wait, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at Monaco?" The ebony shouted back, proving how she also doesn't care about the neighborhood.

Lili stared at Asuka, she didn't know how to explain everything in one go.

"Could you let me in first? It's freezing out here!" Asuka nodded her head and tried her best to get down fast. Lili kept reminding her to be careful. A few seconds later, Asuka's bedroom window was lighted, and the ebony's silhouette could be seen running out. Lili stood in front of the gate and in seconds, it was opened by Asuka.

Lili saw the ebony panting, and had specs of sweat going down from her head. Lili smiled as Asuka raised her head at her. "Hey" the ebony greeted her.

Lili replied "Hey" also and mentally told herself.

_I'm happy to see Asuka_.

The ebony waved her hand in front of Lili's face, making the blonde close her eyes and opens them again with surprise.

"Now tell me why are you back at Japan just two days after leaving? And did you actually go back to Monaco?"

Lili giggled like a fool. "I also don't know why I'm here, I mean I think I knew but now I don't know what I need to do…"

Asuka was worried with the way Lili was talking, it was like the blonde was in a real mess. She raised her hand and placed her palm on Lili's forehead.

Asuka's simple touch on her made Lili instantly flustered and glow in red from neck to face.

"Your face is getting red and your forehead feels hot. You must be getting a fever or something. Let's get you in." Asuka pulled the blonde's wrist and tried to make her come in, but Lili countered Asuka's pulling.

"Wait, I still have my suitcases with me" Lili pointed at the two pink luggage's.

"Oh, no, not that" Asuka said, sighing tiredly. "Now I'm really wondering if you ever did go back to Monaco." Amidst her complain she had gone her way to get the suitcases inside the house and placed them on the side of the stairs like before.

The ebony made Lili sit down at the dining table and reprimanded her while looking through the medicine drawer near the kitchen.

"You should never wait there alone at night you dumb head, Osaka is beaming with bastards and perverts, it's a good thing you didn't encounter one." The ebony found the capsule that she was looking for. She took one of it and handed it to Lili's palm, placing a glass of water in front of Lili.

"She walked behind the blonde and placed her palm on Lili's forehead again. "Most importantly, you can't walk around when you're on your way to a fever."

Lili had blushing cheeks that she was thankful Asuka couldn't see from the back. She knew she wasn't sick or even getting there, so she threw the capsule below the table and drank only the water.

Asuka sat at the seat adjacent to her. "So, why are you back here?"

"You said you were trying to call me on the roof right? Since when have you been trying to call me?" Lili changed the topic.

"This afternoon, I figured you needed rest when you came back to Monaco so I didn't contact you immediately. It was weird though cause the line kept saying that the number didn't exist."

Lili chuckled. "Yeah, my phone got broke…I'll have to buy a new one."

"How did it get broken?"

"Anger management issues" Lili drank the water left in glass. "I'll just put this in the sink"

The blonde went out of her seat and made her way to the kitchen. Asuka's eyes followed her baffled by the first time that Lili is doing something by herself. The next surprising thing comes with Lili even washing the glass in the sink, and drying it with a cloth.

Asuka was peeking at the blonde from the dining table. "Are you really Lili?" She asked sarcastically.

The blonde threw the cloth she was holding and went back to Asuka. "I feel sleepy now; can I sleep in your bed?"

Asuka shaked her head. "I should've enjoyed my bed while it lasted."

Lili tried to keep acting normal even when her chest was bursting to do something more. She wanted to tell Asuka everything. How things between them just isn't the same for her anymore. Just how much her chest aches just by being close to Asuka and even more when she's away from her. But she can't tell it, not so fast and on to the point because for all she knows, she might be the only one feeling this.

The both of them went up to Asuka's bedroom; the ebony didn't carry Lili's suitcases yet and told the blonde she'll do it tomorrow. Although Asuka was fine with Lili staying again, she was very curious why the blonde is back. She's tried asking Lili twice now and the blonde was really not going to say anything, well for now, Asuka hoped.

Going back to the old SOP, Asuka will take the end part of the bed, sticking on the wall while Lili is in the front. The blonde changed to pajamas in the bathroom and got to the bedroom with Asuka on the blankets already.

Lili sat at the head side of the bed; she placed her hand on her chest and felt her heart beating fast again. As long as Asuka was steps away, this is always her average heartbeat. She gulped and tried to swallow most of her nervousness. She lifted her feet and laid her whole body in the bed, moving rapidly to embrace Asuka. The ebony was used to do this, so she just continued to fall asleep but suddenly she felt hot air blow in her ear.

"Hug me too" Asuka heard Lili's low pleading voice. Her eyes opened wide with disbelief.

"Hug you too?" Asuka asked Lili who she can't see so much from the dark.

"Yes, I feel cold from my fever, so…please hug me too."

Asuka felt a rush in her body; her own heart has started to beat faster. She slowly turned sideward and faced Lili, laying her arms above the blonde's waist.

"Thank you" Asuka must have blushed in the dark since the air of Lili's voice came in direct contact with her lips and nose.

Who knows which one of them got to sleep first while trying to control their heart beats that was fast beyond belief?

But one of them came in contact with a dangerous dream.

Lili was slowly opening her eyes, feeling a movement that one experiences while riding inside a car. Her body felt like it kept moving forward and bouncing up a bit. When her eyes have fully opened, she found herself inside of a train.

She looked around and saw that all the seats were empty. The train was colored in gray and all the seats were green. She noticed the driver in front was wearing a black jacket and brown cap while driving quietly. The front windows of the train were moist, so it must mean that they were going to somewhere cold and wet. After careful examinations, she changed her focus to the person sitting next to her.

The person was wearing a black hoodie and was looking out at the closed window. Her hand seemed to be writing something at the moist glass. Lili stayed quiet afraid of her seatmate, but at the same time, she felt like she knew this person sitting next to her.

After a few seconds the person in hoodies shifted her body and took Lili's hand without restrictions.

"Hey, Lili look at this!" The person said happily and pulled Lili to see the thing written at the glass window.

It was the famous umbrella drawing in Japan. A person will draw an umbrella with two peoples name on the opposite sides of the umbrella handle. The two people's names are considered to be lovers.

Lili didn't understand the Japanese letters written under the umbrella, she wanted to ask the person in hoodie so she shifted her head and saw that the person was actually Asuka.

"You can't read it, huh?" Asuka asked her with a teasing smile. "It's just our name's dumb head."

Lili couldn't react correctly now; she was suddenly surprised why she was in a train and why she was with Asuka.

"Come on, aren't you going to say something? I even did my best in drawing the umbrella; it took me a lot of blowing in the glass!" Asuka complained as she pulled Lili's hand.

The blonde sat back to her seat and tried to ignore Asuka. The ebony stayed quiet for a while but she eventually started to poke Lili's cheek with her finger.

"That's unfair of you" The ebony started to say.

Lili glanced back at Asuka, who was pouting her lips at her. "You said you love me that's why I drew that"

Lili's shock was so strong that she felt a strong bolt of electricity burn her chest. "I love you?"

Asuka nodded at her while smiling widely. "Yes, so don't ignore me" She placed her index finger at the top of Lili's nose, while her head looked up to the blonde.

Lili felt that high warmth again in just a simple touch from Asuka. But Asuka will never be like this to her, and there wasn't such a time she did say to the girl that she loved her.

So right at that moment, she realized it. Lili realized that she was in a dream. The Asuka she was with was what her desires have created in her subconscious. This very train, this trip to nowhere, this is what her feelings are going through.

Lili looked down at the Asuka of her dream, still smiling at her and holding her one hand.

And there, it struck Lili. This is just a dream. And this wasn't just a dream, it was hers and she can do anything in it. She can do whatever she wants and no one will ever find out.

"Yes, I love you!" She yelled to the Asuka in front of her. The ebony smiled widely and nodded her head.

"I do, I do Love you" Lili repeated and took Asuka's head, leaning it to her and kissing the ebony in the lips.

Yes, this was her dream yet the same feelings, the same emotions existed as if it was happening in reality. Lili felt it, the soft, warm lips that she always suppressed to imagine as Asuka's.

She kissed Asuka there without a remorse, without a feeling being left behind, she let all her layers fall off and just wanted to savor the feeling of accepting her feelings and kissing Asuka. Her tongue begun to taste sweetness as Asuka had started to kiss her back, they let their hands travel from up and down their face to their backs until Lili finally pushed Asuka to lie down on the train seat.

The train went inside a cavern, making everything dark inside. Lili couldn't see Asuka anymore but she could still hear the girl's breathing, and most of all, she could still feel Asuka kissing her.

When the light to the caverns exit slowly came to wash over them, Lili was losing sensations of the things around her, the sight, the smell, the touch and lastly the sound. Lili's last remembered Asuka calling her name.

Shuddering up in a trance, Lili's eyes opened so widely with surprise. She was right. It was all a dream. She was sitting up at Asuka's bed now, alone with the blankets all above her. Her heart was palpitating so fast and her body still felt the warmth inside the dream scape.

Lili licked her lips, and looked disappointed when all she could taste were her own lipstick.

Downstairs at the kitchen, Asuka was preparing some breakfast with Mr. Kazama reading the newspaper at the dining table.

"Lili came back" Asuka said to her dad as she placed his bowl of rice in the table.

The man looked surprised and put his newspaper down. "I see, I thought I was imagining her suitcases in the stairs. When did she come?"

"A little before midnight" Asuka then placed the other bowls of rice for her and Lili.

"I see, well why did she come back?" Mr. Kazama folded the newspaper and handed it to Asuka.

"Ah…she said something about some business she needs to attend. I was really sleepy so I couldn't hear it right." Asuka took the newspaper to the recycle box near the welcome area.

"I'll just go wake her up for breakfast" She yelled to her father before coming up the stairs. Thinking that Lili was still asleep, Asuka barge right in, seeing Lili fixing the bed cover.

"Wow, you actually woke up without me waking you up." She walked close to Lili and took her hand. "Come on, you don't need to do that."

Lili pulled away fast from Asuka, and hold her chest that's started beating fast again. It was different now. Just one sleep, one dream, made everything different now.

Lili was more sensitive to every touch she gets from Asuka. She knows it now, and she can't deny it anymore.

_How can she still act normal to someone she has feelings for?_

This was her hardest quiz in life; Lili had never been attracted to anyone, much less in love. No one, and no one she means, has ever been successful to seduce her. But to her most outrageous faith, there she was, another woman had been able to take her in a tornado of doubtful, abnormal feelings. Her life is shattered now, her heart has accepted it, her mind is aware of it. She loves Asuka. She does.

And she doesn't know what to do.

"Ok, finish it if you want but after we have breakfast" Asuka pulled Lili's hand again, and this time, Lili just let her.

Mr. Kazama greeted the blonde as she went and sat down next to Asuka.

"For a second I would think that you've miss us too much and decided to come running back." The father and Asuka laughed together, with Lili faking to laugh along.

She still didn't tell her reason for coming though and until they've finished eating; Lili just sat in her place. Asuka sat adjacent to her after washing the dishes.

"If you're not going anywhere, we can go on a date" The ebony stated to Lili.

"Date?" Lili said in a forceful tone, almost scared tone.

"Outing? Shopping?...ok I give up, what do you even call it when friends go and have fun together?" Asuka scratched her head.

"I don't know either…" Lili's head was still in the mud.

"So, how about it? Are you free?" Asuka leaned her head closer to Lili's.

The blonde tried to stop her excited feelings from flying out and nodded freshly at Asuka.

"Yeah, sure" She answered with a constrained voice.

Asuka smiled to her. "Well then, let's go!"

Minutes later, Asuka and Lili were standing outside the gate now.

Asuka was wearing blue pants, a yellow polo shirt opened in half showing her orange shirt underneath. She was wearing brown short boots rather than her usual rubber shoes.

Lili was wearing dark blue jeans with high flesh boots that had fluffy feathers on the top. Her blouse was colored gray with a long sleeve extension that had black stripe designs.

Asuka rubbed her chin and looked at the streets. "Now that I think about it…where are we going to go?"

Lili looked at Asuka. "A mall would be fine." She suggested.

Asuka thought of it in her mind. "Yeah, we can just play some arcades or watch the cinema…let's ride the train!"

Lili's body jolted involuntarily, "The train?"

Asuka took her hand and began to walk. "Yeah, the third station already has a footbridge to the mall, and the travel will be lighter."

Lili spoke to herself to calm down. Calm down. Calm down.

But how could she if the train was so tight and Asuka was so close to her. The ebony let Lili hold on to the pole, while she would hold on to Lili whenever the train would stop and move.

Lili averted her sight and tried her best not to look at Asuka. It was the safest way not to get all excited. When the train got to the third destination, Asuka and Lili went down and crossed the footbridge to the mall.

The mall was really big, having six floors. They were at the fourth floor where every kind of entertainment was possible.  
Asuka was holding hands with Lili, trying the guide the blonde in the way to the arcade. Lili walked while looking at their hands connected, but she heard a sound that catched her attention. She lifted her head and saw the casino area on the right. Instinctively she stopped walking. Asuka felt the sudden cease of Lili and walked back to the blonde.

"What is it?" Asuka asked looking at where Lili's eyes were focused. "Casino? You want to do Casino?"

The clicking sounds of coins and lottery winning sounded off so loud from inside the big area full of tables and golden money slots. The two of them heard the cheers and yelling of people winning and losing money alike.

"Yes" Lili nodded her head.

"Ok but do you have money? They won't let you play unless you bet a thousand in minimum." Lili looked sad now and faced Asuka.

"Please lend me money."

"I know I asked but I was expecting you to brag about how you have tremendous money and such." Asuka pulled the insides of her pocket's and took a thousand yen.

"If I give this to you, we won't get to play arcade anymore." She raised the money in front of Lili.

The blonde took it with a bit of reluctance. "My family's not rich anymore. When I went back to Monaco, most of our things were sold already and I just came back here in a whim so I don't have any money with me. I'm sorry, if I'm dragging you in my problems."

Asuka had a sad face in her face now too. "How did a wealthy family like the Rochefort just lose all their money?"

Lili looked at long at Asuka, before deciding to tell it. "It's the Mishima's, they've taken over our company and went an extra mile just these last weeks. Nothing in our businesses is left."

"I'm sorry" Asuka said.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." Lili gave the ebony a smile.

"It's not directly. The Mishima's president is my cousin. Jin Kazama?"

Lili didn't seem surprise. "So that's why you have the same surnames…I don't care, you didn't do anything to help him in his tyrant rules."

Asuka chuckled at Lili. "Yeah, but I do wish I could help in stopping him from doing them. A lot of my relatives treat him a black sheep for staining the Kazama name to the world."

"I'm sure you can." Lili encouraged Asuka.

Asuka laughed at Lili after that. "Well, that turned dramatic…" She curved her eyebrows down. "Why don't we just see you in action already?" The ebony walked before Lili to the casino and let the blonde choose her game.

Lili took the roll lottery, at the end of the area. It was a game where different prizes can be and not be won in a wheel with slices. The wheel was full bronze color and only three of its bronze slices had prizes in them. Lili bet the whole thousand for one prize, which made Asuka almost faint from shock.

The blonde was expecting to win a big money to give to her daddy and at least help with their financial problems.

The man in long sleeve and chaleco took her bet and rolled the wheel. Lili had a calm, confident look in her face while Asuka was holding her head with both her hands.

The cursor that chooses the slice will blink green if the slice has a prize and red if it doesn't. Lili smiled when the light became green and Asuka sighed with relief. The bell ring for win alarmed and the man opened the prize inside the slice.

He gave a white envelope to Lili. The blonde and ebony took it excitedly, Lili ripped the envelope from above, a long paper like certificate was inside. The two of them both thought that she had won a check for thousands or maybe even hundred thousand of money but they were both frustrated when they realized it was a plane ticket and tour package for one person to China.

"No, why do I always win this kind of things?" Lili asked aloud.

The next thing she knows, Asuka was waving good bye to her at the airport, again!  
She arrived at China, knowing nothing at all on what to do, the worst part is, she was in Shanghai.  
The city of china crawling with kleptomaniacs, she hadn't gotten so far to getting to the hotel she was assigned in when a bunch of guys took her suitcases from her.  
Instantly she chased after them but a girl jumped in front of her and got to the guy's quicker.

When Lili followed them to an enclosed Alley she was stunned with the looks of the guys on top one another, beat up and sore. She felt someone come behind her and saw the girl.

It was an Asian girl with long black hair tied in ponytails with pink ribbons. The girl wore a pink jacket and black jeans with rubber shoes. Her hands had big, heavy bracelets that matched the color of her ribbons.

A big panda appeared behind the girl, rolling Lili's suitcases in his furry big hands.

"Ling Xiayou?" Lili asked the girl to be sure if her memory was right.

The Asian looked at her for a long amount of time. "I remember you being with Asuka in japan before, but I don't remember your name"

Lili felt crushed by that and shaked her head before coming close to the girl.  
"Emilie De Rochefort, but you can call me Lili. Thanks for getting my stuff back"

The blonde offered a handshake to Xiayou. The black haired took it and smiled wonderingly at Lili.

"It's weird to find you here at my mainland."

The two stopped their handshake. "Yeah, I just won my ticket here, and now I don't know what I'll do here."

Xiayou looked at Lili and gave a really big, wide smile. "Well, now you don't have to worry. Lili, I will show you around China!" Xiayou took Lili by the wrist and walked off, literally dragging the blonde with panda following beside them, pulling the two pink suitcases.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **This chapter establishes the new arc of the story XD. Also, if some of you don't know, Lucid Dreaming is the phenomenon where someone realizes that what's happening is actually a dream and therefore makes a way to control it, but as soon as that someone get's to excited inside the dream, they will eventually wake up. Explains why Lili woke up as soon as it was getting better! XD

**AsukaEnergetic1: **I just wanted to have a reason to have them make out without ruining the run of the story so I thought that a dream sequence would be most legit XD...Ohh, Confessions are near, and unexpected... and I also find your comments funny AsukaEnergetic1! it's cool that you and Trapstarjohy are close now :D. Thanks for calling me awesome but I know we're all awesome here ;D cause no AsuLili lover ain't awesome!

* * *

**12) The Alliance**

* * *

Lili was already tired of walking in her flesh colored boots. Xiayou has been taking her everywhere. The black haired girl was dragging her from street to street to check on the stores.

After window shopping without buying anything at all, the black haired then dragged Lili to different food stalls and street food stands.

She would continuously blackmail Lili to taste the food or panda will not lend her suitcases back.

Lili has had enough of the food, and resorted to vomiting everything at a public toilet. She went out and saw Xiayou coming to her with a new type of food in her hand.

"Hey, Lili try this one now! Its Peking duck rolls!" The black haired pierced the toothpick on one of the rolls and raised it up to Lili's mouth.

"Please Xiayou, I just vomited everything in my stomach, you can just enjoy that by yourself." Lili blocked her mouth with both her hands to stop the Peking duck roll to come closer.

"Ok, I'm sorry I didn't know the food here will make you feel sick." Xiayou ate the Peking rolls in one bite.

"Well, yes, how can a European be used to Asian street foods, right?" Lili asked almost mad with sarcasm at Xiayou.

"Could we please go to somewhere I can rest now? My foot hurts from all the walking we've done." Lili stomped her boots to the ground, her face made a look of pain, showing how her feet must be so cramped inside the boots.

"Ok, then, want to go to my place? Or you want me to bring you to the hotel you were assigned?"

Lili thought of how she wasn't interested in the free trip at all, and being with this girl will be a better choice than going around China without a clue how to read or speak Chinese.

"Your place, please" Lili answered Xiayou.

The black haired threw the plastic plate of the Peking rolls and rubbed her hands together.

"Let's go home then!" Ling started to walk and called panda to follow them.

Lili was so close of wanting to choke Xiayou in the neck. The girl made her walk for another two hours from the city to this far secluded temple looking place.

They went up a series of stairs and ventured in a forest like mountain before they got there. It was a very good thing that panda was there to climb the suitcases easily on his back.

When they reach the front wooden gates of wood with flame like sculptures, Xiayou pushed one of the doors and directly came in. The secluded place had a one story building in the left, right and center of the area, creating a U-shaped temple if seen above.

At the middle of these buildings was an open area where a square elevated structure was standing. Lili looked at it and saw little pebbles and dead coal in it.

"That's an outside fireplace" Xiayou explained as she noticed Lili eyeing it.

"We fire it up in the afternoon and late night so that the coldness of the mountain air is balanced inside here."

Lili nodded at the useful essence of the simple looking structure. Xiayou continued walking inside the right building. She knocked on the wooden door two times. Lili watched from the ground, embarrassed to go up to the building.

The door slides to both sides, revealing a woman in whole white Chinese kimono.

"Ling, what took you so long?" The woman who looked to be in her forty's asked the black hair.

"I met a friend in the street this morning and accompanied her. Can I let her stay here for the night?" Xiayou turned her back to let the woman see Lili.

Lili's eyes widen, not knowing what to do, and then she suddenly remembered something. She put her hands in front of her, and bowed down to half her height with her hands on top of her thighs.

_Asuka told me that the lower and longer the bow, the more you respect the person._

Xiayou and the woman were becoming uneasy with Lili's way too long bow.

"Uhm, I guess she can stay. Ling, tell her to rise now" The woman agreed easily and shut the wooden doors closed.

Xiayou lifted her right hand and moved it downward, while saying "Yes" jubilantly.

She went down the wooden platform of the building and tapped Lili in the shoulder.

"Well come on now, my aunt agreed you can stay"

Lili smiled at Xiayou. "Thank you"

Xiayou shaked her head. "You are way too formal." She said giggling. She waved her hand to panda who was sitting by the side of the wooden gates.

"Follow us in the room, buddy" She called to her black and white animal friend. Panda waved his hand back and dropped it again, trying to rest for a bit.

Xiayou opened the sliding door at the center and entered it with Lili. The room was very spacious. There were cabinets at the left and right walls, a circular low table at the right end side, and a big yellow suitcase in the left end side.

"Wait, there's no bed…don't tell me, we're going to sleep on futons?" Lili asked immediately in a horrified tone.

"Yes, we are, good thing there's always an extra futon in the cabinets" Xiayou opened one of the doors in the cabinet at the right wall. At the highest level was four futons folded into squares.

"I want to go back to Asuka" Lili muttered, letting her shoulders fall weakly.

Xiayou looked questioning at Lili. "You've been to Asuka's?"

The blonde had a slight hesitance to tell Xiayou the truth, but what gives, it's not like she needs to tell everything. "Yes, I was in japan for a vacation and then I suddenly won this trip here."

"Wow, that's a wicked stick of luck" Xiayou exclaimed astonished. "I'm only here to visit my relatives but they don't really care about family bonding, as you saw with my aunt. I'm going back to japan in two days; maybe we can go back together."

Lili made a quick happy face. "Oh yes, we will. I don't want to stay here any longer than I should. I miss -

I_ miss Asuka…. Good thing I stopped talking before I said that._

"You miss what or who?" Xiayou asked her.

"I miss sleeping in bed. Asuka never lets me sleep in the futon." Lili said proudly at Xiayou.

"So they have a guest room with your own bed?" Xiayou asked the blonde.

"No, I wish. I shared with Asuka's room."

"So she's the one you made to sleep on the futon?"

"On the first night…" Lili was getting anxious of answering now, she continuously slipping in hiding things.

"It sounds like you stayed with her for a long time, how long were you there? And what happened on the next nights?"

Lili realized how inquisitive of a person Xiayou was. She was now scared of the next thing she'll say.

"It wasn't long; it was just a day or something… I don't remember the next nights..night.." Lili's voice was cutting and she kept re-doing what she first said.

This only made Xiayou more quizzical. "Let me guess, you two shared a bed together?" She first asked what she thought was possible in the blanks that Lili left to her.

The blonde nodded quaintly.

"That's odd; I don't find Asuka to be so willing to share a bed with you. It's like common knowledge in the tournament that the two of you are somewhat rivals…I guess a lot of things change in two years."

Lili looked at Xiayou and chuckled. "Two years? Let's say that a lot more things happen in two weeks"

Xiayou now wore a thrilled expression in her face. "Like what?"

"Well…" Lili looked around the room and found nothing to sit on, so she went outside and sat at the edge of the wood platform. Xiayou tailed her and sat at her right.  
The blonde removed her boots and swinged her feet in the air.

"I can just tell you about how I won this free training program….

Lili started to tell everything that happened in her past stay in Japan, careful to leave out unnecessary, questionable moments with Asuka since she knows the black hair will ask her about it nonstop.

She was supposed to stop after she said how they won the Rever's tournament, leaving out, the lesbian insults, Takahashi, lullaby sleeping, Saito, exchanging clothes and getting drunk sleep together.

But Xiayou pushed for more. "Oh, so what happened after you won?" She asked all excitingly.

"Well, we went back to Osaka and I went home the next day."

Xiayou had a big confusing look after the last thing that Lili said. "If you came home after that, then you travelled from Monaco to here?"

Lili nodded reluctantly, "Yeah" Xiayou stared at her and laughed mockingly.

"What are you laughing at?" Lili asked, almost insulted.

"You don't look convincing at all Lili, it's obvious you're lying, you even said a while ago that you wanted to go back to Asuka's which means you were there before you came here."

Lili looked stunned and just sighed an air of surrender. "Alright, I went back to japan just almost a day after I left."

"Why?"

Lili placed her hand on her bangs and flipped it up in distress. There was no way she could tell her reason to Xiayou. After all she went through in hiding every clue about her and Asuka, she wasn't going to share her reason of coming back to Japan.

"I just had something unresolved when I left, and I came back to fix it."

Xiayou had a content face to Lili's answer. "Ok, still your story's amazing. I mean, who would've thought that the most unlikely pair of battering girls could be so cooperative and form a friendship one day." Her face looked more excited as her sentence lengthened.

Lili smiled knowingly as she looked at her feet swinging beneath the platform. "Trust me; there are more things unexpected that happens more than those you expect."

For a slight moment, the two of them were quiet. The night has come to China and it was dark in the temple place already.

Xiayou went to the fireplace on the middle and had panda help her start a fire. When a tall burning light ascends up in the pebbles, Xiayou and panda went back to the center building. Xiayou tumbling up to the platform while panda carried himself with his hands.

Sometime ago, while Lili was talking, the black and white animal has placed the blonde's suitcases inside the room and laid resting behind Xiayou outside on the wooden platform.

Lili watched as the fire gives light to the whole recluse place, and the black hair girl was right, the frosty wind that she felt a while ago had decreased to something more comfortable to the skin.

Xiayou moved her sitting position to a sideward way. She leaned her back to one of the posts of the ceiling in the platform and curled her feet, facing Lili.

"How about I tell a story about me now?" Xiayou recommended to the blonde.

Lili cracked a light laugh. "Why do you think I'd like to listen to a story of yours?"

Xiayou pouched her lips and looked mad at Lili. "Hey, I'm just making things fair here, you shared a story and I'll share my own."

Lili shifted her head to Xiayou. "Then start telling, I'm beginning to get sleepy with that fire and I don't want to use the futon."

Ignoring the blonde's derisive remark, Xiayou began her story with how she dreams of building her own perfect amusement park there at China. Like how Lili was careful not to tell anything about her and Asuka, Xiayou was also careful to not say something about a certain special someone.

"Miharu is my best friend in high school and we're pretty much the closest to Jin in the Mishima high back then…"

"Wait, you were classmates with Jin Kazama?" Lili cut straight through Xiayou's talking.

"Yeah, before he met he's geezer jerk grandfather Heihachi, Jin was a normal student like all of us."

Lili shifted her head back to the fire. "That doesn't change the fact that he's a jerk himself now." Lili commented, remembering the state of her family due to Jin's company.

Xiayou uncurled her feet and crawled closer to Lili. "He was a different person now and back then, but it's wrong to say he's a jerk. Jin is always trying his best to do good more than anything else!"

Lili's eyebrow started to bent down and so did her lips. "He stole my father's company and just announced war to the world, what is good in that?"

"I don't know either, but I want to. I will never believe that Jin has become bad now, he's too good of a guy to be."

Lili looked at Xiayou's painful face, the expression of someone who's longing to learn answers of grievances to the person they cherish. The blonde quiet understand now, what was missing in the puzzle.

"You like him, don't you? That Jin Kazama" Lili asked with a warm voice of understanding.

"A little bit too much for my own good." Xiayou raised her head up in the sky.

"If only I can just get to him and talk to him. You know, I have a dream sometimes that the Jin I know is still inside that guy that the world sees so dark now. If Jin were back to his old self, he would surely not allow these bad things from happening."

Lili watched how Xiayou talked with fervent goal in just being able to get to Jin and know why he's changed so much. And at the same time, Lili was calculating the depth of Xiayou's expectations.

The blonde agreed internally that Xiayou has a point. If Jin was as good as the guy Xiayou liked before, then it must mean that Xiayou's wish of talking to him to get back to being good isn't that impossible.

Yes, it's a crazy light years probability, but it was only the Mishima they were against with and the cursed bloodline of devils, aside from that Jin is plausible to get back to being good.

All they need is a plan to get to him and a way to convince him; well the latter could be heavily handled by Xiayou. Lili's mind was racing now, a brilliant, yet at the same time dangerous and may result to futile outcome idea went to her mind.

She, they, can build an alliance.

"I think I thought of something exotically messed up" Lili tapped Xiayou in the lap.

The black haired girl looked at Lili. "What do you mean?"

"What if I help you get to Jin? We'll find a way to get to him and have you talk to him. Have us talk to him."

For a moment Xiayou had the look of getting away from Lili. "Are you ok? Do you know just how many bodyguards he has, and he's too busy to talk with anyone aside from maybe his business partners."

Lili looked more excited to tell her thoughts. "I don't mean it like that. We'll kidnap him. Take him to a place where we can talk to him in peace and make him get back to his good ways."

Xiayou still had some doubt but she liked what Lili was saying. "How in the world can we even kidnap the Mishima Zaibatsu president?"

Lili shaked her head raised her finger, swinging it left to right. "Don't you have some confidence in our skills? And beside the two of us, Asuka will also be joining."

"How are you sure that she will?"

"Because Jin Kazama is her cousin, didn't you ever wonder why they had the same surnames?"

Xiayou exhaled a realizing sound. "If it is like that…then maybe we can do your exotically messed up plan after all!" the black hair had a fast mood accelerator to being happy.

"I know! We're leaving immediately tomorrow to get the alliance set and have Asuka in our team" Lili closed her hands to a fist, looking straight at nowhere with excitement.

Xiayou smiled while looking at Lili. "Aren't you a little too excited to see Asuka just after leaving her this morning?"

The blonde blushed a little before putting her hands down and bowing her head to hide from Xiayou's sight. "I'm not!" She shouts.

Xiayou had a teasing smile on. "Admit it, you like Asuka too."

"I don't!" Lili shouted again. She was trying to remind herself that Xiayou wasn't pertaining to something else when she teased Lili that she liked Asuka.

_I love her._

The next afternoon, back at Japan, again!

Lili was now with Xiayou and panda, the black hair girl was more than glad to leave the boring place of her relatives in China.

Lili was so used to getting at the Kazama residence now that Xiayou teased her how the blonde even knew the landmarks at the place. Lili kept pointing at buildings inside the taxi to Xiayou, sharing what Asuka told her before. Panda and Xiayou tried to fit in at the back of the taxi while Lili sat the front seat.

When they got down from the cab, the black gate of the Kazama household stumbled them first.

Lili made Xiayou and panda stand behind her and knocked the gate three times. A few seconds later, the gate opens with Asuka wearing her dojo white and black kimono.

"The last time, it was two days, now it's just one day. Just how faster can you get in travelling?" Asuka greeted Lili, surprised again why the blonde was back so soon.

"Maybe the next time I'll come back after half a day. But I brought something that will make you proud Asuka Kazama." Lili said in a humorous fashion. She stepped to the side and revealed Xiayou and panda standing together.

The ebony scratched her head in confusion. "Why would I be proud of you for bringing more freeloaders?"

"Hey, we're not going to freeload!" Xiayou shouted at Asuka.

The ebony ignored her and looked at Lili. "We need a place where we can talk about everything."

Asuka looked back and forth at the three guests she had. "Alright, you guys get inside." She walked first inside the gate, tapping Lili's hand to follow quickly behind her.

Xiayou let panda carry all the suitcases again.

Inside the dining area, Xiayou sat next to Lili who was sitting in front of Asuka. Panda couldn't fit in the table so he was sitting at floor on Xiayou's left.

"That's not exotically messed up Lili, that's all messed up" Asuka first said. "First, we can't all stay here at the house; you were enough of a crowd. Second, how can you trust it so much that she can really talk Jin back to being good?" Asuka pointed her eyes to Xiayou at the last part.

"Well, I don't suppose you can talk him back to good? Don't think I don't know what happened in the fifth tournament between the two of you, for all I know Jin was only suffocated in your breasts!"

Asuka looked annoyed to hell now. The ebony twisted her finger's letting loud cracks to come out. "You can have him all you want but I'm not going to let you get away from mocking my breasts!" Asuka's hand was about to reach out for a punch to Xiayou, but Lili stopped her halfway.

Lili's one foot was stepping on Xiayou's instep, stopping the black haired from raising it to kick Asuka. "Could the two of you just focus on my idea?" Lili growled trying to control the two by showing some of her own anger.

Asuka rapidly took her hand back and sat at the chair with her back leaning. Xiayou also made her feet rest back to the floor.

"Asuka, this isn't just about making that Jin good again. Remember how you said you wanted to clear the Kazama name by straightening him up? This is your chance. Let's forget about world peace and think about our own benefits from this possible idea of mine."

Asuka looked at Lili's eyes, and even after her heated clashing with Xiayou, she felt like this could actually work it.

_I mean this is Lili's idea for Pete's sake!_ Asuka reminded herself.

She nodded to the blonde in front of her and shifted her face to Xiayou.

"I'm sorry about what I said, and honestly a hundred percent, I'm not into Jin. He's my cousin, and the only reason I'm joining here is because of that and because Lili wants me to."

Xiayou gave up her hostile look at Asuka and smiled at the ebony.

"I'm sorry for also mocking you and I know it is hard to trust that we can do this, but we won't know until we try"

The three girls laughed together as the new alliance have been officially formed.

"But again, we can't stay here in the house, we won't fit in and there's no room here where we can lock Jin up if we ever catch him." Asuka resurfaced the first issue.

Lili gave a smirk to the two girls. "I know where we can stay, and we just need one person's permission to be allowed there." The blonde focused her eyes on Asuka.

The ebony tried to decode the message in Lili's look at her and then she understood it.

By night time, the three girls along with panda who's had enough of carrying suitcases were inside the new dojo in Tokyo, the one that Asuka and Lili won as a prize from the Revers Tournament.

"I want my room to be next to Lili's!" Xiayou demanded at Asuka who was taking the second to the last room next to Lili's room at the last.

"I was here first so just go and take the next room" Asuka talked back to Xiayou with the same level of demand.

"But I want to be next to Lili so we can talk easily when we want to." Xiayou pushed through her demanding.

Asuka was irritated and begun to talk back to Xiayou again. "You can still talk if you cross my room and go to hers. I'm not leaving here because my stuff is already in place."

Xiayou was about to shout back again when the door at the last room opened, and out came Lili with all her stuff.

She stood between the two and pointed her hands to the door rooms at the left and right of the middle room.

"I will take the middle room. Asuka will be at my right and Xiayou at my left."

Immediately, the two fighting girl's did what the blonde said, Xiayou took her stuff to the last room were Lili came out from and locked the door.

Lili continued inside the middle room and left her suitcase outside. She bent down on the bed and helped Asuka get her clothes back to her suitcase.

"I'm sorry for getting you annoyed the whole day" Lili said as she placed Asuka's other stuff in the ebony's suitcase.

"Its fine, she's a lot like you in being a brat and all girly so it's normal I wouldn't get along with her at first but it'll get there in time." Asuka took the last batch of her clothes and pulled her black suitcase outside of the room.

"Well, I hope the two of you don't get closer than you and me" Lili honestly said from her heart.

Asuka stopped walking beneath the door frame and turned her body to Lili. "I doubt that" She said in a confident tone.

Lili felt happy for it, but she wondered why Asuka said that. "Why so?" she asked hopefully.

"Because you're like my…special kind of friend" Asuka said with a shy tone to accompany it. "Oh, well, I better get to my room now and just sleep for the night"

The ebony nodded to herself and left Lili at the middle bedroom.

"Asuka" the blonde called out to her.

"Yeah?" Asuka shouted from the other room, just hardly audible at Lili's room.

"Good night" Lili said with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, good night too." Asuka answered after a few seconds of silence.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Little trivia: Did you know that the title of this chapter was supposed to be the title of this whole fanfic, but I changed it for some reason that you must have realized by now. You will know the reason why I chose this to be the first title before changing it.  
Also, I got hyped up the last day and decided to draw an AsuLili Fan Picture. The one I made as the new cover photo of this story. The scene is inspired by Lili's train dream. I might draw other parts of the story, hmmm, you can request which part if you want to. Oh, well I'm being talkative again.

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Yo there! I'm glad to hear from you again, always present aren't we? *wink wink*  
I'm talking about explosive dynamite confession! XD let's just say I planned the best for my AsuLili (laughs evilly) hehe, were in the same department in criticism, I'm not good in giving those too, but I willfully accept any who wants to give them to me. Comments from the heart are always better than the mind corrector ones! Oh and yes, I love making friends with AsuLili lover too. (Let's blame Trapstarjohny for starting them! XD No, I'm just joking :D)

Shout out to any AsuLili lover out there! "We gonna be friendz!" haha

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**13) FLUID**

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The next day, Asuka wakes up first from the three girls. She went down the second floor ready to cook breakfast when she realized that they don't have groceries in store. She went back upstairs to the third floor and saw that Lili's door was open now.

Walking lightly she stepped in the bedroom and saw Lili just waking up, stretching her body in front of the window at the end of the room.

Asuka knocked on the open door. "Hey" She said along with it.

Lili stopped her arm stretching and looked at Asuka. "Hey" she replied back.

"Want to come with me shopping? We don't have food and I'll let you get what you want…as long as it's not expensive though"

Lili rolled her eyes up. "Like when did I not know of that frugal rule of yours, Asuka Kazama. Fine I'll come, but you have to walk me under an umbrella, my complexion can't be tainted by the high UV rays of Tokyo."

"Ok, whatever you meant" Asuka's face looked really confused. "Get dressed; we'll leave in a minute."

The ebony closed the door behind her, leaving Lili to get changed. When the blonde came out of the room, Asuka was waiting at the first floor.

"I couldn't find an umbrella so do you still want to come with me?" Asuka scratched the back of her head.

"Well, that's a very hard choice….yes; I'll still come with you." Lili lopped her hand under Asuka's arm.

"O..k" the ebony stated in a stumped tone. Although it was fine with her that Lili was arm holding her, she was curious why the blonde is being clingy.

The two of them walked to the nearest dry market in the area, passing by a mini convenience store, Asuka made the two of them come inside.

"What are we going to do here?" Lili asked the ebony while looking at the store's sales.

"We're going to buy an umbrella" Asuka pulled Lili to the end of the store. A rack of assorted colored umbrellas was at the middle of supply sales. "I'll buy it for you, so you can choose whatever color you like."

Asuka crossed her arms together, waiting for the color that Lili will take.

The blonde bended her body to the rack and placed her hands on top of her lap. She looked at all the colors she could choose from and after some considerable amount of time. She took the violet one from the rack and handed it to Asuka.

"Violet? Isn't this too dark for your pastel tastes?" Asuka asked as she looked at the umbrella.

"The darker the color, the less UV rays that can get to me, now it's either that or black and black is not my style

Asuka nodded in agreement and walked to the cashier, handing the umbrella for payment. The staff in the counter was about to put the umbrella in the paper bag but Asuka stopped her.

"No, thanks we'll be using it now." Asuka explained and got the umbrella back. She waved to Lili who went close to her instantly.

When they got out of the store, Asuka ripped the plastic off the umbrella and opened it.  
She waved her head to Lili to walk beside her.

Asuka was wearing blue jogging pants at that time and a lighter blue t-shirt while Lili wore red pants and a red vest above a white sleeveless shirt. The two of them walked quietly with Asuka holding the umbrella. Lili smiled to herself.

She really had the thought of getting the yellow or either pink umbrella but she chose violet for one special reason.

When they finally got to the dry market Lili was the one holding the umbrella now, letting Asuka buy and carry everything.

"Here" Lili reaches her soft drink straw to Asuka, letting the ebony sip from the soft drink in can. Asuka having both her hands full let Lili hold the can as she drinks from the straw.

They arrived back at the dojo by mid noon; Xiayou was already awake, watching T.V in the living room. As soon as Asuka and Lili arrived upstairs to the second floor, she started to interrogate the two.

The black haired girl was wearing red mini shorts and an oversized gray long sleeve shirt, she was sitting, actually almost lying lazily in the sofa, constantly switching the channels of the T.V. panda was sitting at the chair sofa to the right, irritated that he can't watch anything properly.

"Hey, where did the two of you go? Why didn't you take me with you?" Xiayou stood up from the sofa to welcome the two.

Lili went closer to her while Asuka passed by her and went to the kitchen at the end of the floor.

"We just went to buy some food" Lili answered Xiayou's question, carefully folding her new umbrella.

Xiayou pouted her lips and took Lili's hands. "It's unfair that Asuka's always getting you alone, let me have some Lili alone time too!"

Lili looked bemused at the Chinese. "Ahh, when did you start liking me so much?"

Xiayou smiled widely and swung their hands together. "Since I let you know my secret" She said in a sweet happy voice.

Lili raised an eyebrow; she looked at Asuka who seemed to be listening to them but jolted fast before Lili could catch her. The blonde looked back to Xiayou. "What secret?" She asked in a low tone voice.

The black hair in front of her suddenly blushed and averted her eyes. "You know the one about Jin…"

Lili's eyebrows went down to a frown now. "Xiayou, in case you didn't know, it's as obvious as the sun rising in the east that you have a crush on that devil boy."

Xiayou's face turned serious as she re-averted her eyes back to Lili. "That's not the case, Lili. I…I…ugh, how am I suppose to say it with Asuka overhearing us."

The two girls talking looked at Asuka, although she was washing the vegetables at the sink, her head was slightly turned, listening to them. Her head quickly shifted back to the vegetables when Lili and Xiayou eyed her.

"Don't hide it already Asuka, you're listening" Xiayou huffed while starting to cross her arms and face the kitchen.

"Well, how can I not? You're speaking so loud even when Lili is trying her best to speak low." The ebony tapped the vegetables loudly at the sink and proceeded to put them in the water strainer to dry for a bit.

Lili was starting to feel the fighting atmosphere again. She wasn't in the mood to be a modulator so she tugged Xiayou in the sleeve and asked her to talk with her downstairs. The black haired immediately agreed and run down first.

Lili looked at Asuka before going down herself. "Call us when lunch is ready?"

The ebony nodded, a bit hesitant and feeling sad but she felt better when Lili smiled at her before going down.

Panda on the other hand was lying on the couch now, happily watching the TV.

Downstairs in front of the big window, Xiayou was Indian sitting at the floor while LIli was just standing at her left.

"You know Lili, I just don't have a puppy crush on Jin, I love him and I thought you understood that" the black haired girl said in a calm voice.

Lili looked down at her. "How do you even know if you're really in love with someone?"

Xiayou loosened her feet and straightened them in front of her. She waved her toes left to right while trying to process an answer for Lili.

"Well, I guess first things first; you know you're in love when you just really really like a person without knowing why. Then you start thinking about them even when they're not with you, and it goes to the point where they're the only thing you think about."

Lili chuckled, looking funny at Xiayou. "What else?" she asked the black haired.

"Hmmm, oh, I know, you like getting their attention, like really get their attention. You never want to be ignored by them. And you would do most of the things you never rarely do, if it's for that person you love."

Lili nodded at Xiayou, her head was faced to Xiayou but her eyes were looking at nowhere, instead her whole focus was inside her mind. Mentally, she was agreeing to everything that Xiayou is sharing.

Consumed in her thoughts, Lili was surprised when Xiayou called her name loudly. "Lili" the Chinese said while looking up to the standing blonde.

"Yeah?" Lili answered in a hassle.

"Why did you ask me that?"

Lili turned her head to the front, exhaling lightly before saying anything. "I think I'm in love with someone, but I know I love that someone. I'm sure of it, thanks to you."

Xiayou's eyes widened and sparkle, she stood in bended knees and shaked Lili's hands.

"That's great Lili!"

Lili moved her head in a disagreeing way. "No, it's not. You see, I'm not supposed to be in love with this person."

Xiayou argued otherwise. "There's no such thing as not supposed to be in love with Lili! Oh, but what kind of person is he? To actually have YOUR eyes on him! He must be so handsome and cool and great-

Lili cut straight in Xiayou's words, continuing her own list of traits about the certain someone. "And clumsy and violent and always calling me a dumb head…"

Xiayou looked strained at Lili. "But doesn't that make him a bully? Lili, are you secretly a masochist?"

Lili looked lost at Xiayou, rapidly taking her hand away from the Chinese. "I'm not. Like you said, I don't even know why I love _her_…" Lili shocked herself to silence and spouted the first word that came after her shock. "Damn"

Xiayou, was still processing what she heard. "He…her?" she asked with a disbelieving face.

Lili clutched her right hand to a fist; her eyebrows were bent so down in distress. "Yes, her" she said after plucking the courage to just come out already.

"Ohhh, now I get what you meant by you're not supposed to fall in love….are you really sure you love her?" Xiayou was going closer to Lili, wanting to hear the answer clearly and upfront.

Lili was backing away a bit, afraid to slip more information because of her growing nervousness. "Yes." She just simply answered to Xiayou.

The black haired stop getting closer and sat full in the floor, she looked up at Lili. "Have you always liked girls?"

Lili looked at Xiayou, trying to see if the girl had possibly changed her outlook for the blonde. Lili was glad when she can see it clearly in Xiayou's face that the girl was asking sincerely without disgust for her or change in perspective. She was still giving Lili her small smile.

"No." Lili answered honestly. "I have never liked anyone. I loved flirting but only that. It's the first time I have ever felt this kind of emotional charge for someone. And it's another woman which makes everything worser."

"Why don't you first try to realize, if you do like woman…" Xiayou suggested gently, trying to sound unoffending.

Lili wasn't answering as her head had enquired in Xiayou's suggestion already. She was thinking of a way on how to know if she really is into woman or not.

"I'll think about it." Lili said to Xiayou with a smile in her black hair nodded her head, and smiled back to Lili.

"Think about what?" Another voice enters the two girl's private moment. Lili and Xiayou looked at the staircase, Asuka was standing at the last step on the bottom, wearing an apron on top her clothes.

Xiayou was slowly standing up. "Asuka, did you know that-  
The Chinese couldn't finish her sentence anymore after Lili covered her mouth.

"Did I know what?" Asuka asked, looking at Lili who stopper Xiayou from talking.

"That were totally hungry now. Are you here to tell us that lunch is served?" Lili instantly made a fast excuse, nervousness very evident in her voice.

Asuka doubted what Lili told her, and looked at Xiayou for confirmation. The Chinese rolled her eye up to look at Lili, she felt the blonde's hand shivering in her mouth. She turned her eye back to Asuka and nodded once to the ebony.

Asuka still believed that the two of them were hiding something from her. She felt rather sad that Lili was doing her best not to let her know this while she obviously told everything to Xiayou. But she couldn't act to what she felt, for all she knows, maybe Lili thought that it wasn't something shareable to her.

"Ah…yeah, it is. You can go up now so we can eat." Asuka tried her best to sound more cheerful against her sour feelings.

Lili still didn't let go of Xiayou and continued to answer for the both of them. "Ah, yeah, we'll be up in a minute…we're just going to finish something."

Asuka gave a slight nodge and turned her back to go upstairs again. "Don't be long, ok? Food's going to get cold."

"We won't" Lili shouted as she let go of Xiayou who was still weird out and looked at Lili with suspicion.

When Asuka was out of sight, Xiayou grasped Lili in the shoulder. "Ok, that proves that Asuka doesn't know it yet, Lili why don't you want to tell Asuka? She'll understand! You two are friends now right? I accept you and I know she will too."

Lili looked straight into Xiayou's eyes. "I know but I prefer her not to know anything. Promise me, you won't tell her."

The black haired girl gulped. "Ok, if you say so."

"Thank you. And I'll figure out what I like on my own, I think I already have an idea how to find it out." Lili gently pushed Xiayou's hand from her shoulder. "Let's go up now before Asuka gets mad."

"Your right, I'm starving" Xiayou immediately took a change of mood, and went all smiling. Lili smiled along with her, trying her best to get infected with Xiayou's cheerfulness.

By night time, when everyone inside the new dojo was asleep, Lili took this time to sneak out of her room and go somewhere. She went down to the main street of the area and took a cab, telling the driver to take her to a place that holds answers to her questions.

The driver had to look twice at Lili from the top mirror of the cab, he shaked his head and sighed, "Tsk, tsk" disappointingly. Lili heard him and knew that he was looking, but she didn't care and continued to just act normal.

The cab entered the bustling night street of Tokyo, filled with lights and posters and tons of people who were in their best party clothes. By the middle of this street was a slick alley that leads to a big, famous bar for the woman who loved woman. The cab parked at the front of the alley and let Lili come down there. The driver took his pay and again looked disappointed at Lili.

The blonde didn't bother of what the driver thinks; she straddled directly to the big black building at the end of the alley. The building was square and had no windows at all, but the loud sounds inside was audible from the front entrance. A big neon sign hang at the top of the building. It was colored it bright fuchsia pink, blinking the word scissorz in italic writing.

A woman guard wearing tight black police uniform was inside the lobby, looking at Lili who's been standing outside for so long. The woman guard opened the door and whistled to Lili. "Hey, chick, you coming in or what?" She asked arrogantly as she eyed the blonde in front of her. Lili tried to peek at the bar from the slight sight that the woman guard created by opening the door.

"Yeah, I'm going in." Lili said, trying her best to sound like a street girl.

The woman guard started to chew on the overdue bubblegum in her mouth and made Lili come in before her, slightly taking a look at the exposed legs of Lili. The blonde was wearing a red cocktail dress that was above the knee high. Her cleavage was slightly showing and her hair was tied in a ponytail. She had to make sure that she'd look unrecognizable from her usual self, or else, the next time she comes shopping with Asuka, some random lesbian in the street might know her.

Lili paid an entrance fee before getting inside the club, the woman guard slipped a bracelet in her wrist and winked at her before letting her hand go. Lili found this incredibly rude and instantly went inside to get away from the guard.

To her great chagrin and unprepared heart, Lili was welcomed by tons and tons of girls, making out in every part of the club. They were kissing everywhere, in the dance floor, on top of tables, at the walls. It was horror for Lili, and she wanted to go back out just after arriving, but as soon as she turned her back, there was a collecting group of girls that blocked her way out.

"Hey there, Barbie" one of the girls greeted Lili first. She was tall and raven haired, beautiful and had a sexy voice. "It's not so often to see beautiful, untaken ladies in here." The raven haired walked closer to Lili, leaning her head much closer than her body to Lili. "Want to hook up?" she said as she tried to take Lili's face.

Lili slapped the raven's hair's hand away. "No" She yelped so terrified. The raven hair smirked evilly at the blonde. "Hey, now, your acting like you don't like woman at all"  
Lili averted her eyes away but everywhere she looked, the girls inside the club were focused at her. She closed her eyes and opened them again, looking at the raven hair.  
"I'm not a lesbian" she said in a fierce sharp tone.

The girl's inside the bar who were so close to her started to walk away, the raven hair and some other girls behind her looked dissatisfied at Lili.

"Girl's get us a table" The raven hair ordered with a snap of her hand, and immediately, the group of girls behind her went searching for a table. Not a minute passes when one of the girls came back and said that the table was ready.

Lili was now seating at the center of a cushion horseshoe table inside the club, around her were the group of girls, the raven hair was seating directly beside her. The raven haired smoked a cigarette and passed it to her seatmate at the right before talking to Lili.

"Spill it sister, what's a non-lesbian doing in a pure lesbian bar?"

Lili was clutching tightly on her dress and only looking down to her feet, but she managed to look straight up as she gave her answer. "I'm in love with a straight girl"  
All lesbians exhale in horror.

"Are you sure she's straight?" The girl with the cigarette, sitting next to the raven hair asked, pointing her cigarette stick to Lili. The blonde had to whisk the smelly smoke away before answering.

"I think" Lili answered while lifting her shoulders.

"Don't think, know IT!" the girl with the cigarette reprimanded, shaking her cigarette stick until the burnt end came falling to the table.

"Well, she's never been with woman…" Lili tried to reason, keeping her distance from the burnt dirt near her at the table.

"Please, I don't believe in straight people" the girl in the cigarette passed her stick to the raven hair. The raven haired girl sipped from the stick and puffed a big cloud of smoke.

"Sexuality is not a ruler where you can label the front as straight and the end as not. Sexuality is fluid, like a wiggly line of water that can go in different directions." The raven haired explained to Lili as she sipped to her cigarette and let the smoke wander in the air.

"All those people who say they're straight are just spaghetti's in disguise" The girl sitting beside the raven hair talked again. The other girl's in the table nodded their heads in agreement.

"I'm pretty sure you're not talking about the pasta" Lili stretched her head to see the girl she was asking at.

"Got that right babe, when I say spaghetti here, I mean straight until wet."

"Ohhh" Lili could only mutter.

"Look, just listen to us babe, you are a god damn, hot, sexy, beautiful girl that doesn't need to worry about having feelings for someone who is still stuck in the landscape of thinking that there is such a thing as being a straight shit. You have what it takes to turn any spaghetti girl out there, wet." The raven hair talked while biting her lips and licking it, looking so into Lili.

The blonde felt very uncomfortable and looked unease at the raven hair. "That advice felt so right at the start but kind of went wrong by the end."

"Yeah, I'm sorry but my girlfriend here is just like that" The girl sitting beside the raven hair intervened between the two of them.

"Your girlfriend?" Lili asked, really surprised. "She's been flirting with me the whole night and you just sit there without caring?"

"Oh, I am caring. She would've forced to make out with you if I wasn't sitting here next to her." The girl took her cigarette from the raven hair and finished the stick, throwing it behind her.

The raven hair looked sad and turned her face to the girl sitting beside her. "No, I would never do that!" She defended herself.

"Of course I know that, I was only joking." The girl answered her, embracing her through the neck. In a cut second, the two of them were kissing just next to Lili.

The blonde noticed how all the other girl's started making out. She used this chance to finally escape the table but the raven hair still noticed her.

"Hey, it's rude to leave without saying anything, anyways, good luck with your love life. The raven hair shouted, still cupping the face of her girlfriend, who spoke immediately after her. "And if you ever get dumped, we accept threesomes and orgy's here!"

Lili's body shuddered in fear and this time, nothing stopped her from running away and completely leaving the bar.

She was still running until she reached the front of the alley and was back at the bustling street. She walked to the nearby café and decided to take a sip of hot choco before coming back to the new dojo.

After drinking half the Choco, she played her fingers in the paper cup.

_From what I can deduct, I'm sure I'm not a lesbian, well not full time…I was affected by all the girls making out inside there, but it was only because….I also wanted to experience that. I also want to touch the person I love, to hug her, to call her mine, and maybe even to kiss her. _

_So, If I'm not a lesbian, maybe I'm bisexual…no, I can't be bisexual if I don't like both girls and boys, I mean, I only like one person…maybe….I'm just Asukasexual._

Lili stared at the warm chocolate drink inside her cup. She shaked her head as she stared at her own reflection in the muddy brown drink.

_I better get some sleep now._

Lili drank the whole content in one go and left the café. After a few minutes, her cab arrives in the new dojo. When Lili went inside, she didn't know what time is it now, but somehow, she felt like she saw someone sitting on the sofa at the second floor.

A bit scared and doubting that she's just imagining, Lili ignores it and continues to walk up to the third floor.

"Where were you?" A voice suddenly stops Lili from walking. The lampshade at the side of the sofa opens, and reveals Asuka sitting with both her feet up at the sofa. The ebony looked mad, her arms were crossed and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Just near here, wanted a drink of choco" Lili went down the stairs again, acting her best to not get fidgety.

Asuka stood up fast from the sofa and walked in front of Lili, she grabbed the girl in the wrist and leaned her head, so close to Lili's that their noses were going to touch in just one more step. "Exhale" Asuka commanded quietly.

Lili had unconsciously followed Asuka and breathed out air from her mouth. Asuka sniffed it and closed her eyes.

_Good thing I didn't drink any alcohol_ Lili contemplated to herself.

When Asuka opens her eyes, her hostile look was still there. "You smell like cigarette."

Lili chuckled nervously. "There were a lot of guys smoking in the café."

Asuka's brows seemed to soften now, her hold on Lili's wrist let go and her mouth curled up a bit. "I don't know what time you left but it's already 3 am, if you wanted hot choco you could've wake me up and accompany you. And why are you even wearing that kind of dress?"Asuka's eyes were looking up and down at Lili now.

"I haven't fixed all my stuff yet and this was the only thing I could find wearable…" Lili prayed for heaven's that Asuka will stop asking already.

The ebony gave one last up to down look at Lili and shaked her head. She scratched her head and walked by the blonde. "Let's just go up now." She says before fully turning to the stairs and going up first.

Lili went to the lampshade that was left open by Asuka, before pulling the string to turn off the lamp; she looked at the sofa, immensely moved like Asuka has been sitting there for a long time.

Lili pulled the string, the light went off and only slight things could be seen within the black pitch room. Lili walked up carefully to the stairs, smiling.

_Does that mean that Asuka checked me at my bedroom?_


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **This chapter feels a bit dark from the whole story, but I can't change it since it's a turning point chapter. I'll be able to update by Friday if not Wednesday night, this week. Because I was given a lot of workload assignments today. grrrr those teachers. Anyways, enjoy this chapter and rant what you want.

**AsukaEnergetic1: **haha, Asubian and Lesuka! XD hilarious!oh, and the jealousy's! how I love them too ;D, I would totally steal Lili away from Asu if they were true people and if Asu won't kill me for it. XD, haha, good thing I'm also addicted to updates cause I don't make you wait for so long :D. Oh, yeah! we will rule this YURI JUNCTURE WITH OUR HEART RACING LOVE FOR AsuLili! and no one can convince us otherwise!

**AsuLili**: Hello there again, long time no heard from you!first of all I'd like to tell you that I do know how many chapters this will take. **it will run for 34 to 35 chapters, because there's one chapter I'm not sure if I'll write or discard.** Next is, thanks for wishing for my fun in writing, I do enjoy it tons. Maybe someday, other writers out there get inspired from what I wrote about AsuLili right now, and the fandom will increase, but that's just what I hope(And believe it could happen.)You can also try to write yourself, it takes time to get better, but you can do it, trust me.

**Trapstarjohny: **hey! wish you all luck and happiness in your reality love life :D yeah, Lili's really starting to get deeper into her feelings and the deeper she gets the story becomes deeper too and more great things are bound to happen. Really, thank you for always praising me, it's such a flatter to my little heart. And I'm totally in with the privilege of being bridges for friendships. Me love making friends :D!

* * *

**14) Storm**

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The next day, Lili woke up by noon. She went down to the second floor and saw Xiayou and panda doing some stretching at the end of the living room. Asuka was on the dining table, reading a comic book.

Xiayou was wearing latex pink mini shorts and t-shirt with a matching pink headband in her forehead. Panda was also wearing the same headband. Together the two of them did medium push up and arm and feet stretching.

Lili watched for a bit, until Xiayou noticed her and said, "Hey, good morning Lili, you woke up late today"

"Yeah, I kind of went to sleep late"

Xiayou stopped her stretching and went to Lili. "Did you do it?" Xiayou asked her in the lowest voice she could so that Asuka wouldn't hear them.

"I did, can I talk to you downstairs?" Lili nudge at Xiayou. The black haired girl, agreed and told panda to continue the exercise if he wants.

Down at the first floor, the two girls were back to their positions yesterday. Xiayou was sitting with legs straightened in front of her while Lili was standing at her left.

"I went to a lesbian bar last night" Lili immediately said, not looking at Xiayou but to the scene outside the big window in front of them.

Xiayou didn't look surprise, "So, how did it go?"

Lili laughed lightly, shaking her head. "It was worthless."

"Why'd you say?"

Lili must have gone tired from standing up; she curled her feet and sat at the floor beside Xiayou. Hugging her own feet together, Lili started to talk again.

"The only thing I got from going to a lesbian bar is to know that I'm not just attracted to any girl, it's just that one girl."

Lili was talking in distress; her tone was covered in mix emotions.

Xiayou shifted her whole body sideward, facing Lili. "Who is she? The girl you love?"

LIli buried her mouth to the top of her knees. She was shaking her head, gesturing to Xiayou that she doesn't want to tell it yet. The black haired girl prompted a nod to Lili, giving the blonde this piece of secret she wanted to hold still.

By the afternoon of that day, after the three of them have finished lunch, Asuka, Lili and Xiayou gathered for a meeting at the dining table.

Asuka was sitting alone in the left side of the table while the other two girls sat next to each other at the right side of the table. Xiayou was the one sitting in front of Asuka.

"Ok, so this is the first ever meeting for the alliance…can we get a better name than that?" Xiayou was the one who opened the meeting.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Asuka asked the black haired in front of her.

"I don't know yet, but it should be something cool. Let's see, were all girls, all good at fighting, and all beautiful. Hmmmmm, what do think about Jin's angels?" Xiayou was wiping her hand in the air, emphasizing her name suggestion. She looked serious in her talking that it made Asuka and Lili slightly laugh.

"We're sticking with the alliance. There is no way we would use that name, ever." Lili said as she tapped her hands in the dining table.

Xiayou looked disappointed at first but she seemed to get over it fast and started to talk merrily again. "So, what's our first plan?" Xiayou first looked at Asuka.

"Don't look at me; I wasn't the one who came up with this exotically messed up idea" The ebony tilted her head to Lili.

The blonde had a meager fluster when Asuka's eyes met hers, but she tried to control herself and keep her mind leveled.

"I think the first thing we should do is to go to the Mishima Zaibatsu…we should study the guarding and facilities of the place before we plan an all-out kidnapping. We have to be ready in which routes will go, and what traps will be expecting."

Xiayou and Asuka looked at one another. "How are we gonna do that?" they asked Lili in unison.

The blonde lifted her shoulders, "I'll still have to plan it out. Give me a day and I'll be able to come up with something."

Xiayou and Asuka rested their back at the chair. "Ok, then, let's just continue this tomorrow" Xiayou said as she stood up from the dining table.

Asuka and Lili were left alone now; Lili was averting her eyes away from Asuka while the ebony was staring at her.

"Are you ignoring me?" Asuka asked Lili, a bit of hurt, transparent in her voice.

Lili made her eyes look into Asuka's brown one's, she saw her reflection, looking shy and afraid. She couldn't act normal anymore, not as long as she keeps hiding everything. She doesn't want to ignore Asuka, she just can't talk to her, afraid that she might slip on her words or show the ebony too much actions of her feelings.

"I'm not" Lili answered firmly, trying to look confused at Asuka. "You must be imagining Asuka, why would I ever ignore you? You're the one who always does that to me…" Lili stopped talking, it was starting again, she was saying her feelings again.

"Hey, that was before, I never ignored you once after we became friends. And I'm not the one here who keeps confining herself with Xiayou. You've been trying to hide something from me." Asuka was surely starting to get hot tempered, but she was controlling it, her words at end became softer from the tight voice she first used at the start.

Lili felt a sting in her heart; it's not like she could share everything she told Xiayou to her. She felt hurt that she was doing this to Asuka.

"Maybe I have been hiding something from you…but it's my choice to say it to you or not." Lili tried her best to sound like stone.

Asuka looked disappointed and shaked her head, her brows were sliding down and her eyes looked sharp mad. She scratched her seat to the floor as she moved it to stand up. Her hands slammed the dining table as she looked at Lili.

"So much for being friends" She said in a hurled tone as she left the blonde.

Lili felt a big weight of hard feelings dropped to her heart. This was the first time that Asuka had shown something like that to her. It made her feel bad that Asuka was mad at her.

But things just get worst from there. Asuka and Lili begin to purposely ignore each other after that. It started out without talking to each other, Lili would chat with Xiayou and Asuka would chat with Xiayou, but the two of them never chat together. The next level comes when it was just obvious they were ignoring each other, they didn't eat at one table anymore. Xiayou and Lili would eat at the dining table while Asuka ate her food in the living area with panda.

Xiayou couldn't realize it for many times since the two girls acted cheerful to her, and Asuka always said that she was just hooked up in watching this TV show, every time she eats at the living area. But Xiayou is not that dumb to be hoisted in their acting forever. The black haired girl soon found the growing distance between the two girls. Asuka was shopping alone now and Lili had stopped talking about her problems, and going close to Asuka like she always did. Soon, Xiayou talked the matter with Lili.

At one afternoon, Xiayou went inside of Lili's bedroom. The two girls were wearing civilian clothes. Xiayou had green mini shorts and a yellow sleeveless top. The blonde who was sitting at the edge of her bed had black pants and light brown blouse.  
Xiayou mildly seated next to Lili, and asked the blonde without looking at her.

"What's wrong? Why are you and Asuka avoiding each other?"

Lili had a sad expression in her face. "It's my fault. I said something really insensitive to her."

Xiayou rubbed the blonde's exposed shoulder. "Then why don't you say sorry now? Asuka's been asking me about you, I can see how much she wants to end your feud but she must be waiting for you to apologize first."

Lili nodded with a smile on her face. "You're right about that, she is just waiting for me to apologize, because she hates it when she spoils me."

"So apologize now, Lili, as much as I love having you to myself it's just uncomfortable to have the two of you ignoring each other."

Lili raised her leaned down head and looked at Xiayou straightly. "If I apologize, I have to tell her everything. We got here because I refuse to tell her everything I told you."

"See? This is why I didn't like the idea of hiding it from Asuka. Secrets ruin friendships Lili."

The blonde nodded her head once more. "I know, that's why I'm letting you tell Asuka everything. She deserves to know them, but please also tell her that I don't want to speak with her yet."

Xiayou smiled and embraced Lili. "Ok, I will. Don't worry Lili, I'm sure she'll accept you."  
The black hair went out of Lili's room immediately, her footsteps in the stairs were hearable and so is her voice when she called Asuka's name excitedly.

Lili closed her bedroom door and exhaled as she leaned her back to the door. She was never planning to share that to Asuka, because obviously the ebony would also be curious to know who the girl is. And what irony it would be for Lili that the person she loves will ask her that very question. But she had to give it up in order to get Asuka back. After all, she would rather deal with the irony than the pain of having Asuka ignore her.

Little by little even behind the thick oak door, Lili could hear how Xiayou is literally spilling everything Lili had told her. Not leaving out any word. It was scary how the black head could repeat the same exact structure of sentences that Lili said to her. The blonde felt her heart racing, she was nervous. What if Asuka is able to decode through her words?

Not wanting to listen anymore, Lili took her body under her blankets and closed her ears and eyes from the world.

The next day, it was raining in the city of Tokyo when Lili woke up. She went outside her bedroom and took a look at the time on the wall clock of the second floor. It was 10 am in the morning now.

"Hey" A voice greets Lili from behind.

The blonde knew it even without turning her head to see, it was Asuka's voice, so familiar in her head that she could recognize it even if the ebony was just whistling or laughing.

"Hey" Lili replied turning her body to see Asuka in white and green tracksuits, smiling at her while holding out a mug.

"Want hot choco? It's perfect for rainy days like this." Asuka raised a jar of cocoa for Lili to see.

"You bought that for me?" The blonde asked while letting her feet take her closer to Asuka.

Asuka nodded to her, "Ah-hah, I did, because I don't want you going to café's at night, every time you want hot choco from now on, you can just make yourself one…or wake me up if you don't know how to make one."

Lili chuckled at the ebony. "Don't underestimate me Asuka, I know how to make my own hot choco, in fact, how about you let me do ours now?"

Asuka raised her hands in the air and walked away from the kitchen countertop and the cocoa jar. "It's all yours" She said to Lili, who took her place at where Asuka just left.

Quietly, Lili made the hot choco's while Asuka watched her, quietly too. When the blonde was finished, they decided to drink the hot choco at the sofa, not doing anything but to seat in the sofa and sip their drinks.

Minutes later, both their cups were on top of the center table now, empty. Asuka laid straight in the sofa, her feet swinging at the end, while Lili was at the sofa chair adjacent to her. Seemingly reading a magazine but actually looking at the ebony.

"Nah, Lili?" Asuka started to talk while her eyes were staring at the ceiling. Lili gave a low whisper to let Asuka know she heard her.

"It's ok if you're like that; I accept you and I'll still be your friend." Lili felt sadness uphold her in Asuka's words.

"I understand you-

"No, you don't." Lili cut Asuka from talking, knowing that the ebony would just continue saying something she doesn't want to hear.

Asuka stood up in a sitting position. "I haven't even finished yet"

"It doesn't matter what you'll say next Asuka, you're just assuming everything wrongly."

Asuka bent her eyebrows down. "I'm not; you're the one who's been assuming everything wrongly. Why would you hide that you were gay from me? I'm not homophobic Lili."

Lili violently started to shake her head. "See, I knew you wouldn't understand." Instantly Lili left Asuka and went running down to the first floor. The ebony was left motionless in the sofa. Asuka was confused why Lili just walked out on her. If not for the sound of the front doors opening, Asuka wouldn't be able to get her consciousness back.

Immediately the ebony looked at the window on the left wall, she saw how Lili ran away, fast and without stop in the rain.

"That dumb head!" Asuka yelled before running down to the first floor. Her one foot was already outside of the front door, when she remembered something. Quickly she ran up to Lili's bedroom and took the blonde's violet umbrella. When she got outside to the streets, Asuka had no idea where to find Lili now.

She opened the umbrella and tried to scan the streets and alleys near them. Everywhere she went to was empty but that didn't stop her from searching more. Tokyo was a big city, and Shinjuku were they are right now is one if not the biggest place there. Lili could be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Asuka also thought that maybe the blonde took a cab and went somewhere much far away, but the ebony soon deregistered that in her head, knowing how much Lili doesn't like to venture in places she isn't accustomed to. Searching and searching and searching, Asuka's jogging pants were soaking wet now and even the half of her back. She was constantly running so the umbrella wasn't much of a help to her at all.

_Dammit! That Lili, running fast in the rain and letting herself get wet!_

Asuka complained in her head, she was getting nervous every minute that passes without a sign of Lili anywhere. After running through another set of streets by the fifth block away from the new dojo, Asuka stopped at the end of an alley. She rested her hands above her thighs and panted, letting rain fall on her since the umbrella she was holding has fallen down to the ground now.

When Asuka was able to stand up straight again, she saw Lili at the nearby park now, just walking aimlessly. The ebony's eyes widened, she took the umbrella and run to the rain, jumping off the fence that barricaded that street from the park at the other side.

Lili who wasn't aware of Asuka being close there, was shocked when the ebony just appeared in front of her. Asuka landed on her feet after jumping off the fence, her one hand was holding onto the umbrella. She walked close to Lili and raised the umbrella above Lili's head.

"Did I do something, said something wrong for you to just run crazy in this storm?" Asuka asked Lili, letting her body get soaked in the rain now.

Lili looked awed; she felt immense happiness that Asuka chased after her. "No, you didn't do anything, it's my entire fault."

"Nothing's going to change between us Lili, trust me." Asuka said in the most convincing tone she could say it.

"And that is the problem" Lili bowed her head down.

Asuka looked at Lili with a lost face. "How is it a problem?"

Lili raised her head back up, she concentrated her eyes at Asuka, letting her blue orbs reflect the soaked ebony in her pupils.

"Know what Asuka, I'll tell you something…." Lili said while building a confident smile.

"I have never been in love in the 18 years of my life, and before this very day I have always imagined that I will say those three magical words the summarizes all torrid, unexplainable palpitating feelings you have for just this ONE PERSON! It would be extravagant, romantic, in an expensive place with a guy who will forever be my trophy to wag around because he would be perfect!"

"He would be rich and handsome and smart and taller than me" Lili raised one finger at a time to put emphasis on each of what she was talking about.

"BUT NO!" Lili glided her whole right arm to the air, whisking rain water in front of her, some even hitting Asuka.

"Here I am, trying my best to shut up and wait for a better time or a better place to just say that…." She was now pointing her finger to the ground, made of wooden planks arranged in diagonal patterns.

"I Love YOU!"Lili shouted to the top of her lungs, and thinking that maybe Asuka would misunderstand her, she shouted again, this time with clearer more direct words.  
"I' m in love with you!"

Asuka wasn't showing a reaction, she was dumbfounded, speechless, surprised.

Lili didn't care; she wanted to use this chance to her extent and continued to confess everything she's been subduing. "I'm in love with a hot tempered, not rich, not handsome, close to being an airhead, clumsy and shorter than me WOMAN!  
But I accept all of you, no, it's like I never even considered all of those and I just loved you, love you all the way that it's insane!

Lili's eyes stayed open wide, and scorching, as tears was about to fall her face. She couldn't raise her head up now but she shifted it from left to right, slowly.

"I keep looking for you; I keep wanting to be closer to you even when our proximity is already at the closest"

Her hands travelled to squeeze the ridge of her nose as she sniffed, trying to inhale from her stuck chest full of suppressed tears. "I don't even know when I started doing it but I've been begging all heavenly creatures above that may my feelings be unrequited!"

She looked at Asuka for a sign of the ebony's answer, but Asuka was still standing still in front of her. Lili closed her eyes, when she opened them again; she pulled the umbrella's handle from Asuka's hand. The ebony suddenly showed a reaction.

"Lili" was the first thing that Asuka could say, but after that she found herself speechless again.

Lili didn't wait anymore and run away from Asuka, taking the violet umbrella with her.

_Did I just hear what I think I just heard? Did Lili? Lili! Just confess to me?_

Asuka asked herself, her eyes rolling in disbelief. Her head was down, looking at her mudded rubber shoes. Slowly the impact of everything that Lili said came crashing on Asuka that she had to put her palm on her head to try and calm her insides.

This is something she had never expected. Asuka's heart was palpitating beneath her skin and bones but the hard; loud tugging was so hearable that she felt like she was wearing those ear protectants that someone wears when they're swimming.

_Why me? What do I feel? Do I also love her? Do I?_

Asuka was getting pandemoniums now, different voices kept yelling in her head. Unlike Lili, Asuka was never unsuspecting of her feelings; she just let her emotions be. And now that something like this has befallen her, it was like a big dynamite that blasted in her home base without knowing it was even there.

_What is she going to do? What is she going to tell Lili? What does she really feel? _

Asuka had all these questions inside of her, and wished she could just calm down enough to answer them.

_First of all, Lili's confession shocked me, second, I don't think her feelings are not that unrequited…but what if I'm wrong? What if I'm just convincing myself?...but Lili, I don't think I don't like her….but do I love her? How does she know she loves me?_

Asuka raised her head up and tried to look around for Lili, she was scared that the blonde had run away again, but she felt her heart relax a bit when she saw Lili sitting at the bench near the end of the park. The umbrella was folded next to her, and she just sat there without moving with her head buried in her knees.

Asuka walked slowly to Lili, and stood in front of her. She gulped and tried to catch some air, but even preparing this much, she couldn't let out a word to Lili.

"I should've known I was the one….I mean, when Xiayou said that the girl was hot tempered and violent and always calling you dumb head, I knew inside I was the only one who does that to you."

Lili doesn't answer anything to Asuka.

"I don't know what to answer to you, honestly…"

"That's ok. I was expecting that. I'm sorry; I try to push myself to you when I had to go through a lot myself before accepting that I do have feelings for you."

Asuka prompted her head to a slow bent to look at Lili more. "There are feelings; I just don't know what they are."

Lili finally raised her head from her knees and looked at Asuka. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I know it's hard to reciprocate my feelings, and I'll understand if you just tell me that you don't like me back."

"I can't say finished words." Asuka muttered with a heavy sigh after.

Lili gave her an understanding look and reached for one of Asuka's finger, she enclosed it inside her hand. "You know you're giving me hope by saying that Asuka."

The ebony couldn't deny less, she didn't know if it was just her feelings of not wanting to dump Lili or really her true intentions in saying those words. The only thing, Asuka was sure about, is that she wants to know her feelings too.

Lili's confession made her sway with no doubt but how deep does that feeling run from within her actually.

Asuka moved her finger inside Lili's hand and took it out before rimming her whole hand above Lili's.

"Let's go back to the dojo." She said, giving Lili a slight smile of confused feelings.

The blonde nodded to her, abruptly standing up and taking the violet umbrella from the bench. Together they walked with a great distance between them. It was still raining hard, and everywhere they crossed had puddles of water on them.

Wetting their shoes and leaving mudded footprints in the ground. Perceptually, they both thought of giving space to each other for a while, and after their own storms come to an end. They could work things out.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **A New and important character debuts in this chapter, so let us all welcome him!

**AsukaEnergetic1:**I'm sorry if I didn't warn you but I did say, and I quote myself, "Confessions are near and UNEXPECTED" XD, that or I'm really just a troll writer :D Things just get more complicated from here on, and thanks for complementing the rainy scenery, I always imagined Lili to confess that way...wait for Asuka's cause she has a better way of expressing her feelings ;D (Oh, I'm being a troll again XD) Oh, yeah, write a fanfic too when you get pass those lazy moments, trust me, I have my lazy times too. XD

**AsuLili**: I'm happy you like the story! and yeah, I admit I like surprising readers, it's just more fun that way. And don't worry, updates will always be served.

**Trapstarjohny: **Yup, I just can't make Asuka reciprocate Lili's feelings so fast, I hardly gave her point of view in the story, so maybe we'll be hearing more of her side from now on.. or just until she discovers her own feelings. I think you;ll be happy with what I wrote in this chapter ^_^  
And always, thank you for the compliments, it never fails to make me feel flattered.

* * *

**15) Sankaku Kankei**

* * *

The next day after Lili's stormy confession, she and Asuka went back to ignoring each other, but this time, it wasn't like before.

They still talk, but they keep their distance away. Like when they want to tell each other something, they would have to yell it in a crazy distance apart. Little things like sweet talk before were hard now, since that would only make the both of them feel self-conscious.

Xiayou thought that everything was fine now, but she soon got the new state of things when they ate lunch that day. The two girls kept averting their eyes from one another, and had this flustered looks when they get a bit of skin contact.

Xiayou is now confused, it doesn't look like the two girls are in a fight anymore, but the awkwardness between them was such a big tension in the dining table that Xiayou just had to ask what's wrong, now.

"Something big just happened between us yesterday." Lili quickly took the place of answering Xiayou. "How about you? Where did you go yesterday in that big storm?"

Xiayou wants to hear more about what something big meant, but she can't resist in not answering Lili's question. "I went to the airport to buy a ticket."

Asuka and Lili both looked confused. "Ticket for what?" they said at the same time.

Xiayou gave a happy smile, "I just remembered this person who can also join us in the alliance."

"Who is this person?" Lili asked her.

"Hwoarang, and I plan to go to Korea to persuade him to join us."

Asuka looked at Xiayou like she didn't believe the girl at all. "Hwoarang? Isn't he and Jin rivals?"

Xiayou nodded. "Friendly rivals, like you and Lili." The two girls mentioned blushed for a while and cleared their throats.

Lili placed her hand on top of Xiayou's shoulder. "Are you sure he'd be willing to join?"

The black haired girl raised her head up and pinched up her lips to think about it, she smiled and nodded one time. "Yeah, I think he would."

Although still a bit doubtful, Asuka and Lili let Xiayou do what she thinks she can, and just hope for the best.

But, one thing struck Lili's mind. If Xiayou is going to leave for Korea, then that means…she and Asuka will be alone.

Quickly the blonde's heart beat and blood pressures rises, her nervousness quickly took over her. She dropped the chopsticks she was holding to eat and looked back at Xiayou.

"When are you leaving and for how long?" Lili asked frantically.

"Ah, well, I'll be leaving later at 5pm, and, I don't know I'll be gone for two days or less."

_Two days! Two days! Alone with Asuka! no, no , no!_

Lili screamed inside of her, she couldn't take that, she couldn't.

Later on, when Xiayou was packing her stuff at her bedroom, Lili entered the room quickly and locked the door behind her. Xiayou felt suspicious on what Lili wants now.

"Uhmm, Xiao, do you think, you could let me be the one to go to Korea and get Hwoarang?" Lili asked, fidgeting her fingers nervously.

Xiayou twisted her eyebrows. "Why do you want to go?"

Lili's fingers fidgeted faster. "I just have to be not here, if you're not here."

Xiayou just looked more confused. "What are you talking about Lili?"

The blonde head stopped fidgeting already; she rolled her eyes up and down again to look directly at Xiayou. "Alright, I'll just tell you. I'm in love with Asuka."

Xiayou's eyes popped out wide with surprise, her mouth hang opened, and the perfume in her hand came falling off her grasp, Lili saw this and immediately saved the glass bottle from breaking to debris.

Standing up while putting the perfume at a safe place on top of the bed, Lili looked at Xiayou again. "And I confessed to her yesterday and I can't be left alone here with her, for two days."

Xiayou's mouth slowly moved to close and open again as she speaked. "She…she's the one? I was imagining Angelina Jolie beauty, but Lili your tastes are crappy."

The blonde was now the one with her mouth hang open. "Oh, I'm totally not letting you go to Korea after saying that to me."

Xiayou put both her hands on top of her head. "I can't believe it, I just can't, Asuka?...wait, she dumped you? YOU?"

Lili shaked Xiayou in the shoulders. "Would you calm down and stay quieter, she might hear us."

Xiayou putted her hands down and grabbed the fabrics of Lili's white T-shirt in the arms.

"Don't be sad Lili, you have me as your friend now. I know this kind of things ruin friendships, but I'm still here for you."

Lili shaked her head and ignored Xiayou, she took the plane ticket placed on top if the black hair's suitcase and opened the door. Her body was half out to the hallway when she looked back at Xiayou.

"Thanks Xiao, and don't tell Asuka the real reason why I did this."

Before 5pm, Lili had help from Xiayou in sneaking out of the dojo without Asuka seeing her. When the blonde had successfully taken a cab, Xiayou went to the second floor and watch TV with panda.

When Lili arrived at Korea, it was already night time. She had a letter of instruction given by Xiayou on where she could find Hwoarang at the big city of Seoul. Lili took a cab to take her to the slum areas near a big creek at the end of the beautiful city.

The blonde head walked with her white frill dress on, and her nose pinched by her finger to not smell the reek of the dirty water. She looked around the area and found no one there, only a bunch of left broken cars and tin barrels of garbage. Lili was walking in tip toe because she didn't want her boots to step on the dirty liquid wastes on the floor. She continued walking until she saw some lights behind a big, tall fence made from barge wires.

There was smoke and screaming coming from that area that attracted Lili to come closer. She slipped her body into the small opening of the barge wire gate. As she entered the place, there were groups of people hanging out in every direction of the area. It turns out that the place was an open arena. It was an old basketball court wth some of the bleacher's still at the back, where most of the audience were sitting, or rather standing to cheer on the fighters.

There were planks of wood and sticks of metal scattered all around the area, making Lili know that these fights allowed weapons. But enough of observing that, Lili focused her attention to her real goal which is finding Hwoarang.

She took out her favorite gold with red ruby theater telescope and looked for a certain auburn haired guy. Her lips curl to a definite smile when she instantly found her target.

Hwoarang was standing near the front of the pole of what used to be the basketball ring. He was smiling devilishly as he watched the ongoing fight, with his arms crossed and his feet standing in a wide stride.

Lili placed her theater telescope back to her pockets and made her way to the Korean. All the people around wolf whistled as she passed by, cat walking in her white dress and swaying her hair now and then. Once she reached the side of the auburn hair, she talked with a condescending voice.

"Hwoarang isn't it?"

The auburn haired raises his eyebrow, surprised by this woman who had suddenly appeared before him.

"I think I remember seeing you in tekken, but I don't remember your name"

Lili shaked her head, like Asuka and Xiayou, even this guy didn't remember her name.

"Emilie De Rochefort, but you can call me Lili" The blonde raised her hand to Hwoarng, signifying a handshake.

Hworang looked at Lili while scratching the bottom of his chin. He lightly took the handshake. "What do you need from me?" he asked after their hands broke away.

"This is going to sound weird, but please bear with it. I'm in an alliance to save, no, to kidnap Jin Kazama and make him good again. An ally of mine, Ling Xiayou, told me that you'd be willing to help."

Hworang had a blank look in his face, then it turned serious then after a few seconds he bursted out laughing.

"Oh, God, oh, holy mother of God!" he shouted as he laugh hard while embracing his stomach.

Everyone in the arena was looking at the two of them now; Lili had a big blush on her face. "You're embarrassing! Stop laughing!" she yelled to Hwoarang.

The auburn hair did stop and slowly raised his body, he use the end of his wrists to wipe away the tidbits of tears that were collected at the end of his eye sockets.

"Well, how can I not laugh? You're alliance is a worthless existence and the hell do I care with joining. I don't care what happens to that Jin."

Lili thought how Xiayou was wrong about this guy; it was so obvious he wasn't going to take part of their alliance. But Lili is not about to give up that easily, she didn't travel here and be laughed at just for nothing. She will get this Korean to join.

"This is a gambling arena right?" Lili asked Hwoarang.

"Ah, yeah" The guy answered in a snarky tone.

"So, how about we gamble? If I win, you need to join the alliance. If you win, I'll leave in peace."

Hwoarang looked at the blonde, sure she didn't look like the fighting type but he knows she is. He's seen her in tekken many times before, but never has he once crossed faiths in fighting her. This was his chance to experience fighting with the self-proclaimed princess of the tournament. Besides, he was confident that he would win.

At that same time, but on another country, Asuka sat down at the sofa chair opposite the sofa where Xiayou was idly watching T.V. with the sleeping panda as her pillow.

"I thought you were going to Korea?" Asuka asked the black hair.

Xiayou eyebrows both rose in panicky; she gave a nervous chuckle while averting her eyes from Asuka. "Yeah, about that, I suddenly felt sick…so Lili took it over for me."

Asuka looked surprised at Xiayou. "She was the one who went to Korea?"

Xiayou nodded to Asuka, not wanting to say anything more. Asuka shifted her eyes from left to right and slowly she leaned her whole back to the sofa chair. "Oh, well she is a fast traveller, you wouldn't know it but she'll be back here soon."

Xiayou sighed in relief, good thing Asuka didn't ask her anything anymore. The ebony was looking at the ceiling, and trying to talk to herself. She knew the real reason why Lili chose to go instead of Xiayou, so she didn't need to ask it anymore.

Back at Korea, Lili was face on a one on five battles. She was to defeat Hwoarang and four other guys with him; this was Hwoarangs condition in agreeing to join the alliance. The court was cleared and only on the sides did the groups of audience people watched.

A string was looped in the rectangle form of the court to indicate the area of fighting limits. Lili stood at the right side while Hwoarangs group was on the left. The fraud team as Hwoarang's group is called was arranged in a way that all four were in front with Hwoarang at the back. Lili has to go through the four before she can get to fight Hwoarang himself.

Lili looked at the auburn hair, smiling devilishly at the back.

"I can see what you're doing; this is a basic tactic to ensure you win. You want me to lose my energy in fighting those four so that I'd be tired when I get to you. Well, I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but that's just not going to work."

The battle starts after a long loud ring goes off and the four guys in front of Hwoarang went all out together to attack Lili.

The blonde smirked, dodging every attacker so simply. She jumped and landed on one hand, using her feet to swirl and kick the four guys all at once. The four got dizzy from the fast kick and landed on their butts to the ground. Easy as pie, Lili took one of them and placed her boots on the guys back, she stretched his arms until his bones could be heard cracking. Once letting go of him, the guy's body was trembling in pain at the ground.

The next guy who had the strength to stand up tried to punch Lili but the girl quickly catched his hand, twisted it and used it to punch himself to sleep.

Hwoarang stay calmed at the situation but was slowly being enticed by the fast, perfectly clean battle that Lili was doing. She wasn't like the others who fight like animals. She fought with balance between gentle and rough and with ways that no one does. She was elegant, as her every strike had her hair whip in a crazy sexy way. And her frill dress, how heaven is seeable in such a short skirt.

Hwoarang soon realized that the four guys he used as decoys were all down now, he hadn't paid attention to how they've fallen as he was unconsciously mesmerized by only looking at how Lili moved. The next thing that Hwoarang realizes was that Lili was in front of him, and without a reaction coming from him, Lili took his arm, raised it up, pulled him with it, jumped on his shoulder and made him lay face first on the floor.

The victory bell rings, and Hwoarang had lost without even a fight. Lili kicked his body to turn front and offered him her hand. The auburn hair looked stunned and dumbfounded. The screams and surprises of people around who were horrified that this was the first time Hwoarang had coldly lost to someone, not just someone, but to a girl. Hworang didn't hear them, didn't see them, his eyes were trapped in looking at the blonde.

She was smiling with her confidence of winning, usually that would irritate Hwoarang, but this girl didn't. He was taken by her, without even realizing it himself he has taken a liking on this blonde who was elegant and tough at the same time.

Another look into the dojo at Tokyo.

Asuka's body suddenly shivered without a warning. Xiayou noticed this and asked her what's wrong.

"I don't know, my body just suddenly shivered." Asuka answered the black hair.

Xiayou stood up in a seating position. "Hmm, well, they said that if something wrong is happening to someone important to you, you feel a sudden shiver."

Asuka didn't like the sound of that. "That's just probably a myth." She swept her hand to the air, convincing even herself.

Hwoarang took Lili's hand and let her help him stand up. The blonde swiped parts of her hair to the back, before looking at Hwoarang. "I won." She said.

The auburn hair nodded, with a silly smile on his face. "Sure you did." He's voice has mellowed from the stingy tone he was using a while ago.

"Welcome to the alliance?" Lili raised one eyebrow at him.

"I'm at your service, pretty face." Hwoarang looked fascinated at Lili.

The blonde gave him an unfriendly look. "I don't like being called names, and I'm not your boss."

Hwoarang chuckled. Lili looked suspicious at him but she shaked her thoughts away. "We'll leave this very moment, so come on." Lili turned her back but before she could start to walk, Hwoarang took her hand.

"Wait a minute there; I don't have any stuff with me." Lili looked at the auburn hair and found herself annoyed how tight he was holding her hand. She sighed as she turned around again to face him.

"Ok, I'll let you pack some things first." Lili tried her best to wiggle her hand out of Hwoarang's but the boy had a firm hold on her. As soon as she gave her permission, the boy dragged him out of the arena, out of the dark alley and brought her to the parking lot.

Hwoarang let go of Lili's hand when they reached his motor. A black Ducati with metal railings crossed about it. He sat first and let Lili climb behind him. The blonde was holding on to his black leather jacket. When they were out of the tight street from the arena, Hwoarang smirked as he let his motor speed go to maximum. The force of the wind came blowing to his face that he had to put his shades on to still look straight. Slowly he gave a smile when he felt Lili embrace him tightly in the waist; it was all working out as he planned.

After almost half an hour, they reached the city after seoul. Hwoarang stopped his motor in front of a big building. As soon as the engine stopped growling, Lili's embrace on him was gone. He went down the motor and walked to Lili's side. The auburn hair offered his hand to help the blonde get down but Lili kicked him in the face.

"I don't know how you get by it but you were definitely over speeding." The blonde jumped down the motor and looked at the building in front of them. It was a rectangulary erect gray building with balconies at every floor.

"I'll just wait for you here. I don't want to go inside anymore." She said to Hwoarang who was rubbing the kick on his face.

"Alright, I'll get down as soon as I can." He said before running off to the building.

When the guy got down, he only had one red backpack with him. Lili looked confused.

"That's all you're going to take? You should expect that the alliance is going to take a long time, a month as minimum."

Hwoarang turned his backpack so that Lili can see it more. "I pack what I just need."

"Whatever" Lili said while rolling her eyes up "And park your motor somewhere safe, we'll ride a taxi to the airport, you do have money to pay for the taxi right?"

Hwoarang took his motor and dragged it to the garage. He came back after fixing it's locks and without hesitation, he placed his arm above Lili's shoulders.

"Of course, I always have money for beautiful girls."

Lili felt annoyed again, she lifted her arm and punched Hwoarang in the ribs with her elbow. The auburn hair's upper body bended downward in pain, Lili walked out on him and went to the road, trying to get a taxi.

Hwoarang giggled to his self.

_Beautiful, sexy but not so slutty, smart and tough, she's perfect. I don't care about that alliance at all; I'm coming because I want to have you. _

Lili got the taxi and looked back to Hwoarang, waving his hand to go now. The boy smiled with intention at Lili, and walked his way to the cab. Upon sitting at the front seat, Hwoarang saw Lili's face in the top mirror.

_Yes, Emilie De Rochefort, you will be mine._

He stated in his thoughts as he stared at the blonde for the whole ride to the airport.

"Lili should be here by now!" Asuka shouted as early as 7 am, waking Xiayou up in the girl's bedroom.

The black haired girl curled up from her bed and scratched her eyes. "What makes you say so?" She asked while yawning.

"Monaco is 15 hours away and she got back in two days, China was 5 hours away and she got back in a day, Korea is just an hour away and it's been 15 hours since she left! She should've been back by half of the day! She's late!"Asuka was speaking so fast and loudly that Xiayou entirely woke up.

The black haired girl saw the paranoid look in Asuka's face, the ebony's eyes were swelling red and the area beneath them were black, she mustn't have slept from waiting, and her sleepiness must be affecting her nervousness.

"Asuka, calm down, you're talking nonsense. Lili must have gotten a hard time in convincing Hwoarang." Xiayou was walking closer to Asuka, reaching her hand on the ebony's shoulder.

"No….remember you said that you feel a shiver when something bad happens to someone important to you? What if something bad has happened to Lili!"

Xiayou got a hold on Asuka's shoulders but the ebony pushed her away and run out to the hallway. "I'll go to the embassy and report a search for her!" Xiayou got out of her room and saw Asuka frantically running down the stairs, she chased the ebony, knowing she had to stop Asuka, who's just being paranoid at the moment.

"Asuka, don't do it! You're just worrying too much" Xiayou yelled to Asuka who was jumping leaps of stairs to get down faster.

"No, I'm not! I have to report it!" She yelled back to Xiayou. Asuka reached the first floor of the dojo and sprinted her way to the front door. She turned the knob and quickly opened the door.

Her first sight outside was a rubber textured, orange attire. Slowly, Asuka lifted her head up and saw Hwoarang looking down at her, with his hand raised. The boy must have meant to open the door, but Asuka got to it first.

They stared at each other for a short while before Hwoarang gave her a small grin.

"Hey there" He greeted to Asuka who didn't answer him anything. Lili was standing next to Hwoarang wondering why Asuka was in a hurry to run outside, and why the girl looked so haggard.

Xiayou had reached downstairs and panted so much while catching her air from running.

All of them were now downstairs, looking at each other.

Neither one of these four had an idea what this event signified. Sure, they knew this meant the true start of the alliance, but something under that was also important.

This was a meeting between two new rivals.

Asuka, the girl whom the blonde Lili is waiting for an answer and Hwoarang the boy who's only reason to be there is to get Lili for himself.

A love triangle is born.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Another trivia: **The tittle of the last chapter, Sankaku Kankei is the Japanese term for "Love Triangle"

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Don't worry my friend, my heart only beats for AsuLili love too! Oh, how Jealousy is such a great catalyst for love stories. XD. Don't worry, the next chapters are just gonna have more and more characters from the games, and I'm telling you, there's a heck of an adventure coming to this story. So stay tuned ;)

**AsuLili**: Haha, well maybe it's because Hwoarangs part of the circle, you know, if you have Asuka, Lili, Xiayou and Jin in the story, you also gotta throw him in cause he's Jin's rival, a balance to Asuka and Lili's own rivalry. I'm happy that the story is getting more interesting for you, I'll continue to always give that kind of emotions :)

**Trapstarjohny: **Yup, I knew you'd like how he'd be part of the story, but when I planned on him entering I always knew what part he'd be playing, he is going to be the character you know from the games...but also a whole lot different, good way different. If anybody out there read this who hates Hwoarang, I will make them love him here. ;)

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**16) Stop Him!**

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The new rivals stare at each other for quite a time until Xiayou barges behind Asuka and greet their new member.

"Hwoarang!" She yelled excitingly.

"Don't call me so sweetly Xiayou! Why the hell did you think I would join this alliance?" Hwoarang immediately blasted his anger at the Chinese.

"Oh, come on Hwoarang, we all know you care for Jin even if you deny it." The black haired girl smiled giggly to Hwoarang.

The auburn boy looked flustered; he clenched his hands into fists. "I do not! Don't assume things so easily" Xiayou made a crackling laugh and kicked the guy with utter force in his feet.

Hwoarang's face cringed in pain; he started stomping in one foot while holding his other up.

"Then why are you here then?" Xiayou asked him with a menacing smile.

The auburn haired guy looked annoyed but he swallowed it and stays calmed. "I have my own reasons." He states, stealing a glance at Lili.

The blonde had walked next to Asuka, looking quizzically at her. "Why do you look like that?"

Asuka changed her view from the two seemingly friends to Lili. "You didn't travel fast this time." She only said to her.

Lili's eyebrows went down, "Ah, yeah…I think I wasn't excited to come home this time."

Hwoarang suddenly came behind Lili and placed his arms above the girl's shoulders again. "So, Lili, are we going to have rooms next to each other?"

The blonde and Asuka both had irritated faces. Lili punched Hwoarang with her elbow again, while Asuka looked at the guy with pissed eyes, giggling when she saw what Lili did.

The blonde walked to Xiayou and asked her about what happened to Asuka. The Chinese looked scared. "I think she cracked by morning, she just went shouting in my room, waking every daylights in me."

Lili looked more scared than Xiayou. "What cracked her like that?"

"It's because it took you so long to come back. She was really worried something bad happened to you."

"Why would something bad happen to me?"

Xiayou shaked her head, Lili glanced back to Asuka and Hwoarang. The guy was trying to fix his backpack while Asuka just looked at him, still pissed.

"Let's take you to the bedrooms" Lili said to the boy.

Hwoarang smiled like a puppy and went next to Lili but he was suddenly pulled at his neckline by Asuka. "No, I'll take him there." She said with a strict voice.

"Alright already! Let go of my shirt!" The guy complained, trying to get away from Asuka's firm hold.

Seconds later, the two of them were at the hallway of the third floor. The three bedrooms to the left are all occupied by the three girls, so only the three bedrooms to the right were Hwoarang's choice.

"Hmmm" He was trying to decide, rubbing the end of his chin. "Where is Lili's room?" The guy asked Asuka.

The girl's eyebrows frowned down making her look mad. "At the middle" She answered.

"Ok, I'll take the room in front of hers!" The auburn haired went to the room facing Lili's, he dropped his bag on the bed and looked at the room. "Not bad, this can work."

Instantly the door behind him smashed to its frame, Asuka had left him alone now. Hwoarang lifted his shoulders and turned his front to the door; he turned the knob and realized that Asuka locked him in.

"What the! Crazy woman!" He said, trying ways to unlock the door but couldn't. "Hey, let me out of here!" he shouted outside.

The three girls were down at the dining table, drinking juice. Lili and Xiayou could hear Hwoarang screaming.

"Why is he screaming so much?" Lili asked, looking at Asuka. The ebony didn't even hide what she did. "I locked him up, I'll open it later."

The two girls just nodded at Asuka.

By night time, Lili couldn't take it anymore. She locked her door and just went to sleep, Hwoarang was just looking at her from his room to her's, making her feel very uncomfortable.

Asuka got to sleep in the afternoon, so Hwoarang had the whole time to do what he wants, including getting to just stare at Lili.

The next day, seating arrangements in the dining table have changed. Hwoarang was seating next to Xiayou while in front of them, sat Asuka and Lili. The auburn head was supposed to seat next to Lili but the girl was seating with Xiayou, then he was going to sit next to Asuka but the girl stopped him and made Lili sit next to her.

Hwoarang and Asuka were facing one another, but the guy's eyes were looking at Lili, of course, this didn't go unnoticed to anyone in the table. Xiayou kicked the guy's feet.

"Could you stop staring at someone while eating?" Xiayou told Hwoarang, seeing Lili in front of her getting uneasy.

After they've finished cleaning the table, the new meeting for the alliance was made.  
An introduction to the official member's was carried on. Starting with Asuka, the ebony stood up in her seat.

"I'm Asuka Kazama, 19 yrs. old; I joined here because the devil's my cousin." Everyone seemed fine with her intro, except for Xiayou who looked annoyed that Asuka is calling Jin a devil.

Next up, was the black haired girl, standing up like the sweet girl way. "I'm Ling Xiayou, 18 yrs. old, I joined here because I want to save Jin, and make him good again."

Hwoarang took the stage next, "I'm Hwoarang and I'm not telling my age-Aw!  
The auburn haired got another kick in the feet by Xiayou.

"Say it" The girl demanded him.

Hwoarang gritted his teeth "Fine, I'm 23 yrs. old, and I like blonde girls"

"No one's asking you what you like" Asuka snapped at him.

Hwoarang glared at Asuka before continuing "I joined here because I'm going to kick Jin's butt when we catch him."

He received another kick by Xiayou, slightly after seating down. Lili scooted closer to Asuka's ear. "Now I know why Xiayou was confident in getting him. He seems to be under that girl."

Asuka mildly nodded in agreement. Lili then stood up and introduced herself.

"I'm Emilie 'Lili' De Rochefort, 18 yrs. old; I joined here because I'm hoping that if I get to make that Jin good again, he might give back my father's company, our wealth, exactly."

So, after introductions, they made a contract of their teaming up, and an official name.

The Asian Alliance of People Who Wants to Save Jin Kazama  
Leader: Asuka Kazama  
Members: Ling Xiayou  
Hwoarang

The three people listed was about to sign the contract when they realized something.

"Why is Lili's name not here?" Xiayou asked. "And why is Asuka the leader?"  
The three of them looked at Lili, who was the one who made the contract and rules.

"Well, I'm not there because I'm here" the blonde placed another contract in the table.

The European Single Person Who May or May Not Want to Save Jin Kazama

Leader: Emilie De Rochefort  
Member: Herself

"And, I made Asuka the leader because she's Jin's cousin." Lili added to them.

"Is that really your reason or because you made this rule?" Xiayou was pointing at the rule's list given by Lili. "The leaders of the two alliances, Asian and European shall be the existing diplomats of each other's branches, working ALWAYS TOGETHER." Xiayou read aloud.

Lili gave a nervous laugh. "No, that's just a coincidence." Lili was flapping her right hand in the air, while faking a laugh.

Hwoarang raised an eyebrow, wondering what was wrong with what Xiayou was saying and Lili was denying. He asked about it but neither of the three girls answered him and changed the topic. They went on to sign the contracts and after that, they talked about the budget's needed.

"We'll have to get money for our missions. We'll first have to examine where Jin goes and how to get there ourselves. Then we need some gadgets to help us in spying and getting fights done faster." Lili oriented the three.

"Let's join in different competitions then!" Xiayou suggested. Everyone looked at each other and smiled.

Separately the four of them started joining different contests to get prize moneys to be their budget. For the next weeks, the four of them joined different ranking competitions, from amateur to professional. By the end of the third week, they're budget was in the edge of a million. Hwaorang, Xiayou, Asuka and Lili, had bags of money, collections of certificates, and trophies that they also sold to get more money.

And finally, after travelling from city to city and even country to country, the four were resting now, back at the dojo.

Asuka was walking to her bedroom one time when she saw Hwoarang pressed close to the bathroom door, standing on bended knees. The ebony was going closer behind him and she realized what he was doing. Rapidly as she could, Asuka took Hwoarang in his neckline and threw him staircase by staircase until he reached the first floor with his hands holding onto his back from the pain. Asuka didn't care, she used her arm to pin his neck on the floor.

"I always knew you were a pervert, peeping at Lili while she's in the bathroom."

Hwoarang was getting blue skin from Asuka's tight pin on his neck; hardly any air was getting in him. "But…she was only brushing her teeth" he tried to explain.

Asuka's eyes squinted at him. "Whatever she was doing it's wrong to peep at someone in the bathroom."

"But I couldn't help it, the door was ajar and you…you wouldn't understand ok! I like her, so I can't stop myself." Hwoarang was feeling more strangled by the second.

Asuka looked at him; he's feelings for Lili affected her. She felt heavy after hearing Hwoarang say that. When she realized how tight she's been strangling him, she let's go and frees him. She sits at the floor, still stuck in that heavy, uneasy feeling.

"I know she's your close friend, so I can see why you're surprised, but I'm telling you, I really do like her, I want her, that's the only reason I'm here. It's to get her to be my girlfriend." Hwoarang explained while rubbing his throat.

Asuka looked at him and talked seriously. "She's not going to be yours. She's in love with someone else."

Hwoarang didn't look like that meant something to him. "Oh, really? Well, I don't see her going out with someone. I asked her once, she told me she was single….but unavailable. What kind of guy is she in love with anyways?"

Asuka shifted her head away from Hwoarang, feeling a blush coming to her face. "I can't tell." She just said.

"Whatever" Hwoarang said boringly "But you can help me get closer to her. You're her friend, and if you convince her enough to give me a chance then bam! She'll be mine in a day."

Asuka was rolling her eyes left to right, hearing everything this guy was saying made a heavy, heavy feeling on her chest.

"Hey, come on. If you help me, I'll treat it as a big favor from you" Hwoarang insisted Asuka.

The ebony, looked confused, there was no way she would agree to that. How could she help him get close to Lili is she knows full well that Lili is in love with her. Asuka shaked her head to Hwoarang's direction.

"Geez, and I thought you'd be helpful for once. Fine, don't help me, I can get her myself, I always get the girl I want." Hwoarang stood up from the floor and was about to leave when Asuka grabbed him in the wrist.

The ebony wasn't looking at him; her head was staring straight ahead. "Alright" Asuka merely said, but Hwoarang knew that it meant she will help him. Or will she?

The first step in helping Hwoarang: the boy plans to seduce Lili to him by showing the blonde his superior talent in cooking. He asks his accomplice, no other than Asuka, to tell him what food does Lili enjoys the most in eating.

The accomplice tells him that Lili would love anything sautéed in sweet butter, and so Hwoarang decided to cook clams in sweet butter. The guy made an effort to arrange the dining table beautifully and to make Xiayou and Asuka leave.

Outside, Xiayou is curious why Asuka bought vegetables on the market and told her that they should go back to the dojo now, the Chinese said that Hwoarang told them to be out for the whole day but Asuka doesn't listen to her.

When they came back to the dojo, Lili was kindly putting down Hwoarang's offer of the clams, stating that she can't stand them. Asuka comes in and tells Lili that she doesn't need to worry because she bought vegetables to sauté in the butter, which is really the only thing she enjoys that is sautéed in butter.

Hwoarang ended up eating all the clams to himself, admitting how horrible the clams tasted with sweet butter.

The second step in helping Hwoarang: Hwoarang asks Asuka to ask Lili to go to the mall together, then the auburn head told Asuka to leave them alone together, but Lili doesn't want her to leave. The boy doesn't have a choice and just let's Asuka come with them. He was supposed to showoff to Lili by beating everyone in the arcade games but Asuka manages to out win him. Adding injury to his insult, the boys in the arcade started laughing at him for losing to a girl just after being all high and mighty to everyone he beat a while ago.

The third step in helping Hwoarang: Hwoarang learns about Lili's plan to go to the city to buy some gadgets from a techy store there. In order to show off again, he asked Asuka where he could borrow a motor and told his accomplice about his plan to service Lili. The ebony showed him to a motor shop and waited until he got the motor. When Hwoarang wasn't looking, Asuka unplugged the wire of the gas to the engine. By the time Lili got into his back, Hwoarang was getting irritated that the motor wasn't moving at all, trying his best to kick the starter.

After many failed attempts Hwoarang told Lili that she can wait for him to exchange the motor in the shop. Lili was about to agree but Asuka came in front of her in a tall black mountain bike with a basket on the front and a comfortable extra seat by the back.

"Hop on, Lili." She said to the blonde who smiled and quickly did so.

Hwoarang slapped his own face and went back to the motor shop, raging his madness. The mechanic told him about the unplug wire and asked him why didn't he check that.

"Well, how the hell can I think that the wire would be unplugged? Who would unplug that anyways?" The mechanic nodded, also finding it odd why the wire was unplugged.

The fourth step in helping Hwoarang: The auburn head decided to ask the team to watch a movie at the cinemas. The three girls agreed, and went along with him after promising that he'd pay for everyone. And since he was the one paying, he told them that he got to choose what movie to watch. He thought that Lili was like all the other girls he knows, a scaredy-cat to horror movies.

Hwoarang chose the scariest movie being screened at that time. When they got inside the cinema, he sat at Lili's left who was sitting at Asuka's left. Xiayou sat at Hwoarang's left. For the few minutes at the start of the movie, Hwoarang was acting cool and trying to reach for Lili's hand, but the blonde was watching while crossed arms.

When the scary parts get in, Hwoarang was getting thrilled that anytime by now, Lili would be hugging him from terror. The ghosts come out and blood splatters all around the ground in the movie, but Hwoarang's expectations aren't coming true.

It was actually the whole opposite, Asuka and Lili kept laughing at the scary scenes, ignoring Hwoarang who was getting fixated with Xiayou holding on to him so much. The black haired girl kept pulling Hwoarang's hair and kicking him in the feet.

"Hwoarang! You stupid head! You know I get easily scared!" Xiayou complained with her eyes closed, but her feet and hand were torturing Hwoarang.

Not only has Hwoarang lost the chance of flirting with Lili again, but now he has to control the wild Chinese girl next to him. The movie ends with Hwoarang's hair scrammed and wreck from its flat comb. He's black boots were filled with footsteps from Xiayou's kicking.

"Oh, Hwoarang, I'm sorry." Xiayou said while covering her mouth with her hands. Only when the lights went back did she realized how much she's been tormenting Hwoarang.

Asuka and Lili were still laughing in their seats. Although Hwoarang's plan pathetically failed, he did do something right. Asuka and Lili came to realize that they both like laughing at horror movies.

After that day, Hwoarang rested his plans for a while, not acting for three days, until he got what he thought would be the perfect plan.

Hwoarang went to the market and bought Lili some chocolate and flowers. When he came back to the dojo, Asuka immediately saw what he was carrying.

"Chocolates and flowers?" Asuka came close to what Hwoarang bought that he just left on top of the dining area.

"Well isn't that the first thing you buy for someone your courting?" Hwoarang answered Asuka from the third floor.

Lili wasn't home for that day because she went to the city again to get contacts for their missions. The blonde head created an alarm system that connects to worldwide travelling, taxes and finance information. Every name of the people who pay for anything they buy will come out in the system, and the moment they get a hit on where Jin is closest to them, they will go after the signal and invade him there.

Although the original plan was to study the facilities of the Mishima, Lili said that the plan would be done someday else because it was more important to set the alarms first.

While waiting for Hwoarang to come back down, Asuka was staring at the things on top of the table. She had a strong feeling of ruining Hwoarang's plan again, but that is the only reason why she accepted to help him.

To put it simply, Asuka is just acting to help him. She had the feeling that as long as she knew what the guy's plans were, she could stop them on time. After all, Asuka believes that you always need to keep your enemies closer.

But after days of ruining Hwoarang's plan, and this one too might be ruined, Asuka was feeling more confused now. She wondered why it felt so important to stop him at the first place.

Asuka, stopped herself from letting any tendencies of denying get to her head. She then tried to think deep, realize it. No doubt, she was doing everything she could to stop Hwoarang because she didn't want him to have a chance.

You can call it selfish or unfair, but Asuka just didn't want him to get what he wants. When Hwoarang went down again, he was changed into a pair of jeans and black leather jacket above a black t-shirt. He went to the dining table and pulled the flowers first, a big bouquet composed of assorted flowers. He made the pull so fast that the chocolates slided down the table, scattering everything of its contents in the floor.

Asuka came out from the kitchen and tried to help him get the round chocolates but she was really trying to step on them. Hwoarang placed his hands on his head.

"You're stepping on all of them!" He tried to push Asuka's feet away while taking as much chocolates as he could. When all the pieces he could save was back inside the bow, Asuka placed the lid on top of it.

"You know she'll realize that these chocolates were dropped. If you give these to her, she will hate you than love you." Asuka said, slowly getting the box to Hwoarang.

The auburn head looked disappointed as he let Asuka pull the box of chocolates out of his hands. When the box was away from his palms, he felt a sliding rope in his waist; he looked down and saw that the ribbon for the bouquet was glued to the box of chocolate. He yelled for Asuka to stop walking but the ebony acted like she couldn't hear him.

When the whole bouquet was taken out of its ribbon, the flowers unarranged and landed on Hwoarang's feet. Asuka looked back now and tried to look surprised.

At that very time, Lili came up to the second floor and found the mess of flowers on Hwoarang's feet.

"Ah, what are those for?" She asked, pointing to the flowers.

Hwoarang, looked at Asuka with an irritated glare before looking at Lili.

"Ah, this is nothing, just a bunch of dirt." He lifted all the flowers and took the box of chocolates from Asuka's hands. Hwoarang marched to the trash can and threw everything away. He rubbed his palms together after and walked passed Asuka and Lili without a word.

Lili looked at Asuka with a confused stare. The ebony just bowed her head down. Although it made her feel bad and sorry for Hwoarang, she just couldn't let him get what he wants. She just couldn't let him get Lili.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **The next chapter after this is going to be blasted with many characters from the games, get ready for the awesome adventure up next!

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Oh, Asuka's feelings are just so obvious to everyone, she's the only dumb head who can't realize it herself XD I also laugh at horror movies when they're too exaggerated XD, well, some of your questions will be answered in this chapter ;D

**AsuLili**: I'm just gonna go ahead and say that Asuka is jealous XD but you will feel that more in this chapter, I mean I did entitle it, Jealousy ;)

**Trapstarjohny: **Wow, I'm glad to convey the characters correctly in how they act :D haha, see Asuka? everyone knows already you're the only one who doesn't notice your feelings yet XD. And thank you again for the compliments.

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**17) Jealousy**

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Hwoarang was at the first floor of the dojo, practicing his moves with a punching bag tied on a metal railing that was suspended from the ceiling.

He was wearing tight black pants with a sleeveless white t-shirt on top. His muscles were glistening with his training sweat. He kicks and punches on the bag simultaneously, while exhaling loud breaths of air.

He started punching faster, and faster and faster and gave a big final blast that made a permanent deformation on the punching bag.

He looked at it with grin and wiped the sweat coming down to the side of his face. He turned around and sat at the floor, getting his bottle of water and jugging it down.

_Damn that Asuka, she said she'd help me but all she's been doing is actually ruining my plans. I've already been here for a month and it still looks like that blonde head's not attracted to me. This is the longest time I have ever courted someone!_

Hwoarang's anger lashed out of his hands as the bottle he was holding got sliced into two. The lower end of the sliced bottle that fell off to his feet slided away, stopping only when a pair of white boots blocked it from continuing to roll.

Lili walked closer to Hwoarang who was unaware of the blonde approaching him. When Lili reached his side, she lightly tapped him in the shoulder.

"Eh!" Lili yelped, catching Hwoarang's attention. He saw the blonde look disgusted, wiping the sweat off her finger. "I just hate sweat" Lili said, talking to herself, rather than to Hwoarang.

The auburn head felt happy, this was the first time Lili had first come to him after she got him from Korea.

"What do you need?" Hwoarang asked Lili, trying to get his tough voice in motion.

The blonde had moved on from her disgust of the sweat and looked at the guy.

"I want you to come with me; we're going somewhere together, and only the two of us."

Hwoarang heard angels herald in his mind.

_Could this be it?_ The auburn head asked himself. _Lili is finally having feelings for me!_ He greatly assumed.

A little later on, Asuka came home from the market. She found out that no one was in the dojo. Neither Lili, Xiayou nor Hwoarang was there, and somehow she thought that they must've gone somewhere together.

She shrugged that fact and just did her usual cooking of food. When afternoon came at that day, Xiayou went home alone, wearing her fighting Chinese inspired dress.

"Where's Lili and Hwoarang?" was Asuka's first greeting to the black haired.

Xiayou looked at the food on the dining table and got herself a plate. While putting the food on her plate, she answered Asuka's question.

"She and Hwoarang went out together."

Asuka had a perplexed reaction mixed with anger. "What do you mean they went out together?"

Xiayou was chewing her food, so Asuka had to wait for the girl to swallow first. She asked the question again, pressuring Xiayou to chew faster. The Chinese looked annoyed at Asuka.

"They just went to a mission together. Lili told me to set up the connection of her alarm system to the satellite on the upper part of Tokyo before leaving with Hwoarang."

"Well did she say when they'll be back?" Asuka was speaking more angrily now.

"No, she didn't. They just left without another word." Xiayou took in another spoon of her food.

"Why didn't she ask me to come with her? Or you? Why him?" Asuka continued to ask the girl who was busy eating.

Xiayou swallowed her food fast. "How am I supposed to know that Asuka, maybe she just thought that Hwoarang could help her more in the mission?"

Asuka's eyes rolled up, she stopped asking anymore and sat back to the sofa she was lying on.

_Don't worry, she'll be back soon, it's just a mission._

Asuka repeatedly said in her mind.

_Ugh! I just left for an hour and that Hwoarang must have said something to her! _

Asuka gnashed her teeth's, she felt messed up inside. She didn't like the thought of leaving Lili and Hwoarang alone. She was hoping they'd be back by any time now.

Night time came, Xiayou told Asuka to sleep now or she'll start acting paranoid again tomorrow. The black haired girl went up to her room first and left Asuka in the living room.

The ebony decided to follow what Xiayou told her. She went up to her room and lay on her bed. For seconds, to minutes, to an hour, Asuka was tossing left to right. Her heart was palpitating, making it hard for her to sleep.

When she just couldn't sense sleepiness at all, she gave up and went back to the living room. She sat at the sofa chair with both her feet up. She wasn't even on pajamas yet, she was wearing a pair of blue tracksuits that's been on her since morning.

Tick tock, tick tock.

Asuka's only source of sound was the living room's clock. She stared at nowhere in the dark and empty area of the unlighted place, and slowly as her fatigue overcame her heart palpitating nervousness, Asuka fell asleep on the sofa chair.

The next day, the ebony still woke up early despite her late sleeping time last night. She couldn't see any changes on the second floor so she went up to the third floor and opened Lili's bedroom.

The blonde wasn't home yet. Asuka then opened Hwoarang's room, neither one of them was there yet. Asuka felt an early rise of anger when she realized that the two were still not back.

A few hours later, Xiayou woke up and saw Asuka watching a gory movie with a big pack of junk food's beside her. She gathered all the chips she can in one fist and chunks on all of them at once. Her noisy crunching was perfect for the screaming pains on the movie she was watching. Xiayou went near Asuka, covering the side of her face in order to not see the movie.

"Why is it that every time Lili leaves, you go into this kind of withdrawal?" Xiayou asked the ebony, stopping the girl's hand from stuffing more potato chips in her mouth.

Asuka let go of the chips, currently in her clenched fist and pauses her movie. "And just what kind of withdrawal am I going through?" she asked Xiayou, sounding like someone who's drunk.

The black haired girl took away her chips and turned off the movie, looking disgusted when she saw that the screen was paused to a scene of someone being mutilated in the stomach.

"Crazy withdrawal" Xiayou told Asuka, taking all the other chip bags and putting them on top of the kitchen counter.

"Ok, admit it Asuka, you like her too."

Asuka's eyes rapidly went big; she stood up in her knees on the sofa and faced Xiayou who was standing behind her.

"I do?" She asked like she was really expecting the girl to answer her.

"I would assume so." Xiayou said a matter of factly. "Look at how you're acting just because she hasn't come back yet."

Asuka went down the sofa and stood up in the floor. "You just had to make me remember." She spitted out before running downstairs. Xiayou tried to chase her, but the front door was already open when she reached the last step on the stairs.

The Chinese was worried what Asuka was going to do, but the ebony was back in less than fifteen minutes. Asuka was carrying a big plastic bag from the nearby convenience store.

"What is that?" Xiayou asked the ebony.

Asuka doesn't answer her and proceeds to take out the content. It was a big dart board and a box filled with the small missiles. The ebony fixed the dartboard to the wall, she then came up to the third floor. She began looking through Hwoarang's backpack.

"Asuka, what if he's just not the type to have a picture of himself?" Xiayou suggested to Asuka who said to help her find a picture of Hwoarang.

"Nonsense! Obnoxious people always have their own pictures with them…Aha!" Asuka found it, inside the auburn hair's wallet. Excited, Asuka ran back down to the first floor. Using a tam tacks, she pins the guy's picture on the dartboard.

Xiayou and panda decided to stay at the second floor, in case mayhem of wrong thrown missiles happens downstairs.

Asuka was standing a good ten steps away the dart board, having a chair beside her with the small missiles on top. She took one of the missiles and aimed it at the target, Hwoarang's face.

_Where did you take him bastard, why isn't she home yet?_

Asuka threw the first missile that landed directly on Hwoarang's left eye.

_And what about you Lili, what are you thinking about, asking a guy to come with you and not coming home!_

Her second throw was more forceful, the missile lands on Hwoarang's nose.

Every throw Asuka makes, she accompanies it with her complains and her anger. And every throw becomes faster, becomes more powerful. The dart board got full of Asuka's throws, not even one missile went out of the board. When her last piece of the missile was on her hands, she threw it the hardest she can.

_I thought you loved me!_

She shouted as her missile flies away from her hand. The impact and depth of the last throw made the whole dartboard crack in half, along with Hwoarang's face. The missiles came falling loudly to the floor along with the dusty cork material of the board.

That night, Asuka was cursing more than ever. She paced back and forth at the first floor, waiting for any sign that the two would be back by now. Her last memory of the night was falling asleep on the mat she assembled at the first floor.

As her eyes opened in the morning, Asuka could feel her body moving upwards. She closed and opened her eyes many times but she found it hard to build an image with her still sleepy state. But something told her what was happening. She might not be able to see clearly for now, but she could smell clearly and feel clearly.

Lili was carrying her up to her bedroom in a piggyback, like she did to her before. Asuka could never mistake the texture of the blonde hair where her face was buried right now, and the familiar smell that only belonged to Lili. The blonde's natural fragrance, even without cologne, she smelled so sweet to Asuka's nose.

Lili who was carefully going up felt Asuka's hands tighten on her neck and the ebony's face getting deeper to hair.

"It's Lili" The ebony mumbled.

Lili smiled when she heard Asuka say her name, the ebony must be unaware of it, but she was sleep talking.

By afternoon, Asuka had fully woken up. She realized that she wasn't dreaming or hallucinating when she thought Lili carried her up to her room because she was really at her bedroom now. She instantly stands up and goes to Lili's bedroom but the blonde wasn't there. She went to look at Xiayou's bedroom.

The black hair was listening to music on iPod, sharing her headset with panda, both sitting on the bed. Xiayou noticed Asuka at the door.

"Lili's at the dining table" She said, knowing exactly who Asuka is looking for. The ebony smiled at her before turning back and making her way to the second floor.

Xiayou and panda looked at each other and giggled. "It's funny how happy she looked." The Chinese girl commented before continuing their sound trip.

Like Xiayou said, Lili was sitting at the dining table. Reading some stack of papers. Asuka took the seat in front of her.

Asuka was happy, real happy that Lili is back, but she was also sad at the same time.

She had a lot of things to tell Lili, like how she waited for her all day and all night, like how worried she was, or like how she missed her.

"Why didn't you ask me to come with you?" But this was the winner to the first thing she'd tell Lili.

The blonde head shifted her focus from the papers she was holding and to Asuka who looked like a person in the gloom.

"I had to leave early and you were still in the market." Lili simply answered, staring back at her papers.

"Well then, how about Xiayou? She was here at that time." Asuka was leaning her head close to Lili, getting angry that the blonde was likely ignoring her.

"She had a better mission to do" Lili answered not looking at Asuka.

The ebony leaned back to her seat and looked irritated at Lili. "You could've given that mission to Hwaorang, why chose him to come with you?" Asuka's voice sounded mad, and demanding.

Lili wasn't answering her; the blonde head's eyebrows were twisted down now.

"Why won't you answer me?" Asuka asked once more, getting impatient with Lili's silent treatment to her.

"Asuka, I would be willing to answer your questions if only you asked more nicely. You're throwing your temper at me."

Asuka's palms slapped the table and remained there as she stood up and talked.

"How can't I ask that way? I can't control my anger! You were gone for two days, what kind of mission would last for two days? What kind of girl would spend two days out with a guy?"

"The mission was to watch over on how systems run in the Mishima Zaibatsu, we had to stay there for night and day to get enough data on how things go there." Lili said to Asuka with her voice starting to rise.

"You just had to watch? You just had to watch? Then why didn't you really just take Xiayou?" Asuka reprimanded to Lili.

Lili dropped the papers she was holding on the table. "Agh! You don't know anything Asuka, stop pestering me like that, you just really hate that I took Hwoarang with me instead of you. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're just jealous."

Asuka's eyes went wide open, her chest suddenly chomped inside. She felt a rush of thick uneasy air, come to the middle of her throat.

"I…" She tried to say something but lost her words. She closed her eyes, and swallowed before opening her eyes again. "I'm not." She said with a force nonchalant expression.

Lili looked at her annoyingly. "Suit yourself." The blonde told her, standing up from the dining table. She took all the papers and went upstairs to her bedroom.

Asuka was stuck in her position; her hands were still resting on the table, with her head looking down.

"Psst" Asuka heard a whisper call to her. She turned her head and saw Hwoarang standing at the top of the stairs going to the first floor.

"Come down with me." The auburn hair told Asuka, tilting his head to the first floor.

Down at the ground level, the two of them was standing, ironically, to the same place where Lili and Xiayou have their private talks too.

Asuka was leaning her back to the big window while Hwoarang sat on the floor, his feet half curled up with his hands resting on his knees.

"I'm giving up on Lili." Hwoarang announced. Asuka was surprised enough to look at him after averting his face since they went down.

"Are you joking me? You just got a two day getaway with her, and I'm sure you had all the chances you could to seduce her and now you tell me you're giving up? Oh, come on." Asuka talked on the verge of bursting her anger. She was speaking in a rude and sarcastic tone.

Hwoarang laughed. "Oh come on indeed." He smirked and shaked his head. "I confessed to her, and she busted me." Hwoarang said the word busted in an emphasizing higher voice.

Asuka felt most of her anger escalate down, like that very sentence was a medicine to her intense anger and other uneasy feeling.

"I always wondered how my perfect plans go ruined, every darn time. I wasn't so stupid to not blame you but I didn't listen to that part of me, after all, what would you gain by stopping me to get Lili? But now I know, you have been ruining my plans to stop me from getting her."

Asuka had a hostile look in her eyes, but she nodded to show the guy he was right.

"I heard your fight upstairs, and I believe in what Lili said, you're just jealous of me. Admit it woman, you're in love with her too."

~ two days ago ~

After Xiayou left Lili and Hwoarang at the train station to get to the place where Mishima Zaibatsu is located, the guy instantly flaunts himself to Lili.

"To what date are you taking me? Pretty face?" Hwoarang asked the blonde who was walking with distance away from him.

"This is not a date; we are going on a mission." Lili exclaimed to the auburn head.

Hwoarang was walking with his hands on his pockets. He made a longer step to get first of Lili. When he got in front of her, he made them stop walking.

"What kind of mission? To fall in love with each other?" The guy wiggled his eyebrows.

"N – O, no. We are going to infiltrate Mishima Zaibatsu."

Hwoarang's face looked disagreeing. "Are you crazy? With all the guards there you'd be dead before you know it."

Lili nodded her head slightly. "If Asuka was the one with me she wouldn't be afraid like you, in fact she might even tell me why the hell are we taking so long?" Lili was imitating how Asuka spoke.

Hwoarang pointed one digit of his finger at Lili. "Hey, I'm not afraid" He said with a tough tone.

"Whatever, let's just go." Lili walked sideward to escape from Hwoarang's blocking. It took them more than an hour to get to the Building of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

Lili had an office woman clothing, black plain skirt and blouse with a white polo inside. She had glasses on and her hair was tied to a bun. Hwoarang was wearing a whole blue janitor uniform and blue cap. They got their clothes from two people they beat up from the gate. Getting the employees ID's, they have an access to get inside the main building. Lili and Hwoarang went to the bathrooms, the only place in the building with no cameras. Inside the bathroom, they opened the ceiling cover that lead to the ceiling shafts and went up. They meet up inside the shaft and studied the way to get to the control room.

After many minutes of searching they reached the area of the control room and stayed on the shafts to get a good watch. Lili was sitting near the little openings of the ceiling cover, listing down things she finds useful about the building security. Hwoarang was lying sideward at the end of the shaft, very far away from Lili. He was stomping his fingers in the shaft like he was killing inexistent ants.

"Shh, stop that or they'll hear us." Lili scolded him. Hwoarang growled before turning his back to the other side. When night time came, most of the employees in the company had gone home. Lili asked Hwoarang to come near to the ceiling cover. They were lying on their front at opposite sides of the shaft. Hwoarang was holding a remote control while Lili had a pen and notebook with her.

"Ok, now click that button." Lili commanded Hwoarang. The guy used the remote to control a tiny flying chip that can press the buttons in the control room. They were using this chance to see all the traps installed in the building. The tons of computer screen that had a view from almost all angles of the while building helped in showing Lili what was being activated in every button that they push.

The guard on duty was heavy asleep, not knowing what was happening. The other guards in the building were too focused on watching, not realizing the lasers that suddenly blasts on walls or the floors that open out of nowhere, the guns that appear from walls that turn around and tornados spinning deadly in the hallways.

I took them until morning to finish trying out all the buttons in the control room. Lili still looked great but Hwoarang who's been the one activating the buttons had eye bags under his eyes. He was yawning repeatedly while Lili dragged him to walk faster. The two of them were out of the Mishima Zaibatsu now.

Lili was planning to go back to the dojo already but Hwoarang was just too sleepy, so she let the guy get rest first. She took two bedrooms to a nearby hotel. She also took that chance to get some sleep.

When she woke up, it was already nearing night, she heard Hwoarang knocking and calling her name at the door. The auburn hair asked her for dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Hwoarang kept talking about himself at the table while Lili ate, trying to ignore the noisy guy, but she did nodded sometimes when she felt like she could agree to what he was saying. She nodded when Hwoarang said he's prideful. She nodded when Hwoarang said he's arrogant. Those were the only times she responded.

After their dinner, Hwoarang forced Lili to come with him to the seaside promenade near there. Lili agreed hesitantly.

As soon as they reached the place, Hwoarang down on his knees and took Lili's one hand.

"I know you think I'm a playboy but I'm serious that I like you. Can you please accept my feelings?" The auburn head talked so seriously looking at Lili's eyes.

The blonde head replied to his look and to his question. "I'm sorry I can't accept your feelings because were the same."

Hwoarang had a confused look on his face. "What do you mean by were the same?"

"I also like a girl, love her actually." Lili had a smile on her face as she said the last part.

Hwoarang let go of Lili's hand and fell to his butt sitting in the ground. "What? You're a lesbian?"

Lili looked a bit shocked at him. "No, well, not full time. You see, I don't like all girls, just one girl."

Hwoarang's face looked washed in confusion. "But you asked me to come with you here? Why did you want me to be with you alone if you're not interested in me?"

Lili bit her lips for a second and let the ocean breeze cool her body and refresh her mind. After a few seconds she decided to say it.

"You know, I love Asuka."

"What?" Hwoarang shouted to her, almost standing up in full from the shock.

Lili didn't mind his reaction, she expected it anyways. "The two of you have been getting close the past days so I thought that you liked her and I planned on separating you, but now I'm confused because you said you like me"

"Agh! I only came with you to japan because I wanted you to be my perfect girlfriend! I asked Asuka to help me out in courting you!"

"Yes, thanks for the compliment but I think I'm meant to be someone else's perfect girlfriend." Lili said with a shy voice.

"….wait, wait…Oh! No!" Hwoarang yelped while holding his head.

"What is it?" Lili asked him curiously.

"Every time I planned something to get you, like the clams, the arcade, the motor ride, the cinema and the chocolates and flowers, they always get ruined! Asuka, that girl must've agreed to help me just so she could stop me every time!" Hwoarang clenched his fists so tightly, his veins were coming out.

"So that's why….I thought you were giving those flowers to Asuka."

"The hell I would! Why do you even like her? She's irritating; she's brash, and loud and a woman!"

Lili stepped her one foot closer to Hwoarang, and leaned her head a bit down to level closer to his. "You only like me because I'm this pretty girl you think is so sweet, sexy and nice. Well, I'm not; you even called me a brat back then at the tournaments. What changed, Hwoarang? You want me to tell you?" Lili poked the guy in his chest.

"I changed." She said firmly. "I admit I was spoiled and bratty and selfish but I'm not like that anymore and that's what made you like me now. But Asuka, she might not have like me from the start but she was the most patient person to me. Even when I drove her crazy or irritated, she still cared for me. And she's not brash or irritating or loud like you said, she's really quite when it's just the two of us, and I have never felt her irritating, in fact, I love being with her more than anyone else even if she's a woman, I don't care. This is love, Hwoarang, it transcends everything, including gender."

Hwoarang eyebrows were bent so down. He crawled back away from Lili and stood up. He climbed the wall barricade to the seaside and stood at the edge of it.

"Could you help push me off? I need a shock absorber from everything I just heard." Hwoarang asked Lili, panting with a lot of icy air going out of his mouth.

"I can't do that, you might die and we still need you in the alliance." Lili climbed up the barricade herself and tapped Hwoarang in the back.

"I'm sorry; I know how it feels to be dumped."

"Asuka dumped you? You?" Hwoarang shifted his face to the side where he could see Lili.

"Well, it's not a complete dump. I'm hanging for her final answer. She said she needed time to sort her feelings." Lili exhaled a sad air that made Hwoarang step a feet away from the edge of the barricade. He jumped down to the ground and looked above at Lili.

"Geez, I feel so forced but I can't leave the alliance unless I know that the dumb Asuka realizes her feelings. After all, I'm up for being a rebounder."

"Thank you Hwoarang, you're a nice guy too, under that bad boy guise of yours." Lili said to the auburn head, offering him a warm smile of gratitude.

"Better not give me that cute killer smile or I'll change my mind again." Hwoarang warned Lili, stretching his hands straight.

"You deserve to get it this time." Lili flawlessy jumps down the barricade herself.

"Well, this is only until Asuka officially dumps you and I become your rebound, but we can be friends, right?"

Lili looked at him quizzically. "You're fine in being friend zoned?"

Hwoarang shaked his head. "Never expected it in my whole life"

Lili giggled at his exclamation, and soon Hwaorang gave his own giggle. They went home that night and arrived early morning at the dojo seeing Asuka asleep at the mats on the first floor. Hwoarang took care of the stuff they had and let Lili take the ebony to her bedroom.

So after a month, the love triangle has broken, but new friendships are made in the most unexpected events.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **The next chapter is going to be start another new arc in the story. And remember, new arc means new changes!

This chapter has a music fic. part again, this time the song is You Got Me by Colbie Caillat.

**AsukaEnergetic1: **I'm happy I made your day with my last chapter, that really had a lot of turning points in the story XD especially with the double jealousy factor XD and Asuka's improvement might be more noticeable by now :D

**AsuLili**: I also loved Jealousy as a title, it sounds so powerful and scary at the same time. haha, Asuka's not an exception to love making her do crazy things XD

**Trapstarjohny: **I told you Hwoarang would be a better character here, but that's only the start, expect him to get better. And really, I'm happy to know that the chapter was good for all of you. :D, I will always continue to bring the quality of my writings at work and maybe even try to improve them more for the sake of better entertainment. :D

* * *

**18) My love is like a...**

* * *

After her talk with Hwoarang, Asuka made her way upstairs to the third floor. She carefully turns the door knob in Lili's bedroom, but found it to be locked. She was about to try knocking when she thought of something better to do.

Lili was sitting at her bed, looking through the papers where she listed everything she saw inside the building of Mishima Zaibatsu. She tried her best not to think about her fight with Asuka just now, she knew that it'd be better for the two of them to cool down first before talking again.

Her focus on the papers was disturbed when she heard a weird knocking sound coming from her window. She went down from her bed and walked to the window, finding Asuka knocking from the outside. Lili was surprised and immediately opened her window.

"Hey! Come in here!" She yelled to Asuka while pulling the girl's hand inside her bedroom. The ebony that was standing on the platform below the window jumped up and got inside the blonde's room. Lili's pull on her hand was so strong that she had to embrace Lili to balance her body from falling down.

For a short while Asuka and Lili didn't move from the embrace, until the blonde pushed Asuka away after starting to feel awkward.

"What were you doing? Standing outside the window?" Lili asked the ebony, sounding off so nervous.

"Because I know you'd let me in if I go through there than your door."Asuka answered the blonde, sweeping some dirt off her tracksuits.

Lili turned her body and went back to her position at the bed, ignoring that Asuka was there. The ebony noticed this and sat in front of Lili at the bed.

"Hwoarang told me the truth; I guess we haven't been talking so much and we've both been hiding so much that's why we've ended up misunderstanding a lot of things."

Lili looked at Asuka straight in the eye. "I know, I was the first to misunderstand things. I take fault." Lili bowed her head down to her papers after saying that.

"You take fault but you don't want to talk to me right here." Asuka said, looking at how Lili was trying her best to not take notice of Asuka.

"It's because I'm trying to make some distance. I hate it the most when were together and neither of us is just in the shape to talk correctly and we end up always bashing at each other. Then we regret it and say sorry and do it again. Less talk, less mistakes."

Lili explained with a serious voice, her head rose to face Asuka.

"You know what I hate the most? It's when you ignore me. People used to ask me how I get through your stalker tendencies and now I want to tell them that I'd really wish you'd be my stalker. They don't know how many times you are so good at ignoring me like you have nothing to do with me at all. I understand how you think silent treatment is the best, but it really doesn't feel good to get them."

Asuka crossed her arms together and talked with a high and mighty voice to Lili.

"Ok, I would not give you the silent treatment anymore, but only if you don't go knocking on my window just so I would let you in here."

"Deal" Asuka said with a smirk. Lili smiled at her before the blonde ripped a piece of paper on the notebook she had and wrote something in it. She passed it to Asuka who saw an address there.

"Why do I need to go here?" Asuka didn't recognize the address written. Judging by the city and street number, she knew it was only near, but what boggled her mind was, what could this place be?"

"I have to do something there and I need you to be there." Lili told the ebony, having a light blush on her cheeks.

Asuka could see this trace of red in Lili's face and became more curious of this place.  
She was about to say another thing but Lili kicked her off the bed.

"Ouch" Asuka said, standing up from the floor.

"I need to read these through, so you can just go out now." Lili showed the papers scattered in her bed.

Asuka was rubbing her back that smashed the floor, and quietly left the room like Lili asked.

The next day by morning at the time of six, Asuka made her way to find the place of the address given to her by Lili. She only had to walk since it was only a few blocks away. When she saw the building with the street no. she was confused.

The building was whole white, tall and rectangular. It had no windows at all, the front had three double doors lining horizontally but all of them were locked. Asuka wondered how she could get inside, so she walked around the building and found an open door at the rear side.

She pushed the door and entered this pitch black place. Her first thought was to open the lights, so she pressed her hands on the walls and scanned for the switch. She could feel many wires and ropes in the walls but there wasn't any switch. All of a sudden she tripped on the floor, unable to see the elevated floor ahead of her. She growled while standing up and was now more lost in the dark room. She couldn't feel the walls anymore and when she tried to step she felt another elevated floor. Asuka followed the rising steps, realizing she was walking on stairs. When the final flight came, she heard the sound of wood creaking.

She didn't move anymore, afraid that she might fall from the high place she is now.

"Lili?" She tried to called quietly but hearable enough. "I can't find the switches, are you here now?"

Only echoes of her own voice answered Asuka, loud echoes. She looked around the dark room, trying to decipher anything she could make up in the dark, where was she? And where is Lili?

Asuka heard a tiny sound, it was small yet it was powerful and high pitching. She let her ears find the direction of the sound and soon, a light came above her. There were dusty particles travelling the air in the white light that showered above her. She could now see a silhouette from afar her. Further into the room, she could see a human figure, but it wasn't complete, something big and curvy obstructed its form below.

Asuka squinted her eyes to have a better look of the silhouette but her trouble was solved when another light shined down there. The silhouette was composed of Lili, wearing her white frill dress and sitting on a big white grand piano.

"Wow" Asuka said, amazed by what she was seeing.

Lili stared straight at Asuka, catching her brown eyes to meet her blue ones. "I found out about this place in the internet. I've been playing here for some time now, it started after my confession to you. When I was a child, I always dreamed that I'll confess to the person I love with a song with me playing the piano. So, let's repeat my confession."

Lili didn't move away from her eye lock with Asuka, but her hands had started to hit on the notes. She didn't have a score sheet to follow, rather she was playing from what she knows already.

The first tone sounded like a sweet melody of a child's song. The intro to it was short and soon the lyrics come in. Lili's voice was different from her usual, it was sweeter, it was bubblier, a lot like how she looked while singing it.

_You're stuck on me and my laughing eyes  
I can't pretend though I try to hide  
I like you, I like you_

Lili smiled while singing the song, looking only at Asuka.

_I think I felt my heart skip a beat  
I'm standing here and I can hardly breathe  
You got me yeah, you got me_

Lili sang like it was her own words to say to Asuka, lingering the lyrics long in her tongue.

_The way you take my hand is just so sweet  
_  
Lili pulls her hand out for Asuka to reach, the ebony smiled as she let Lili pull her closer to the piano.

_And that crooked smile of yours_

Lili continued her lyrics smiling at Asuka

It knocks me off my feet

She shaked her head, giving more action to the song's words.

_Oh, I just can't get enough  
How much do I need to fill me up?  
It feels so good, it must be love  
It's everything that I've been dreaming of_

Lili had shifted her face to her hands on the piano.

_I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin  
'Cause no matter what I do  
_  
She shifted her face back to Asuka.  
_Oh, my heart is filled with you_

_I can't imagine what it'd be like  
Living each day in this life  
Without you, without you_

Lili had a slight sad expression in her face, most likely showing her emotions in the lyrics.

_One look from you, I know you understand  
This mess we're in, you know is just so out of hand_

She slided her fingers to all the keys in the piano, making an ebullient mix of sounds before returning to the tune of the music, and repeating the chorus.

_Oh, I just can't get enough  
How much do I need to fill me up?  
It feels so good, it must be love  
It's everything that I've been dreaming of_

_I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin  
'Cause no matter what I do  
Oh, my heart is filled with you_

Lili was starting to get something below the grand piano, letting only her one hand play the keys.

_I hope we always feel this way_

She took out these papers that stood up in their own base and spiral bounded on top. She flipped the first page, directing her head there to signal Asuka to read what's written.  
_  
I know we will_ Asuka said, making the duet for the song, not really singing it but saying it in her normal, yet now shy voice. Lili smiled at her as thanks.

And in my heart I know that you'll always stay

Lili flips the paper again, letting Asuka read the word "Forever". The ebony giggled at Lili who giggled back to her.

Lili stopped playing most of the keys, letting one key to play at a time, creating a quitter tune and letting her voice carry everything else.

_Oh, I just can't get enough  
How much do I need to fill me up?_

She closes her eyes and whipped her head with the symphony of her voice pitching up.

_It feels so good, it must be love_

Getting passed those lyrics, she brings back all the other keys to the music.

_I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin  
'Cause no matter what I do_

_Oh, I just can't get enough  
How much do I need to fill me up?  
It feels so good, it must be love  
It's everything that I've been dreaming of_

Lili played her piano, singing her heart facing Asuka who was smiling along with her in the lovely tempo of the music.

_I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin  
'Cause no matter what I do  
Oh, my heart is filled with you_

Lili flipped another page of the paper stand up, reading, "Read the next pages." Asuka looked at Lili if it meant that she was the one to flip it now. The blonde gave her a nod.

_Oh, you got me, you got me_

"I'm sorry if I upset you sometimes, and I'm very hard headed. But I really love you." Asuka read the second to the last page."And I will wait for you to love me too."_  
Oh, oh, you got me, you got me_

Asuka finished reading the same time Lili finished her song. The whole place started to have lightings and it was then that Asuka realized they were inside a theater, standing on the stage.

The whole place was empty yet it looked so furnished and clean. The golden seats with royal red cushions and the brass walls and the chandeliers in the ceilings, they were all preserved beautifully.

"Falling in love with you is like finding this theater." Lili said, standing up from the piano seat and walking to the middle of the stage. Asuka was still standing beside the piano, looking at Lili's back.

"It was plain and unnoticeable at the outside, but one time, I just got curious of it and tried to get inside. And the first time I did that, I was so scared because I didn't know anything about it, it was all dark and confusing to face. I didn't know where I'd end up and the only one thing I was sure about is that I'll get hurt if I try to go deeper. But without expecting it, I got to the top and found some light to shed on it. That's a metaphor because I found the light switch when I was here at this very position I'm standing at."  
Lili pointed her fingers down to the wooden floor.

"And when I saw what it really was, my first impression was, this wasn't bad at all. I was expecting it to be horrible and disgusting but it wasn't. It was breathtaking, wonderful and gorgeous. It was more than I could have ever imagined it to be. Taking me by surprise and completely letting me fall far it, over and over again."

Asuka took her paces to come over to Lili, the loud stomp of her final step made the wood floor creak. She grabbed the blonde in the shoulders, making Lili surprised. Asuka's head was bowed for a while before she raised it and started to say something.

"I..—

A loud beeping sound echoed in the theater. Lili's attention was fully drawn to it, shifting her head to the piano. Asuka realized this and tried to take Lili's attention back, but the blonde head seemed so fidgeted at the beeping.

"Hold your thought, Asuka." Lili told Asuka while removing the ebony's hands from her shoulder and going to the piano. She lifted the top of the grand piano, taking out a pager looking device where the beeping was coming from.

The blonde smiled at the screen of the device and looked back at Asuka.  
"We have to go back to the dojo now." She simply said.

"Why? What is that beeping for anyways?" Asuka asked a bit annoyed that her thoughts were fully pushed out to halt.

Lili turned the devices screen to Asuka, showing a green map filled with grid lines, and one red dot at somewhere near Tokyo. "You see that red spot there? It's Jin Kazama, he's in Iwaki right now, just two hours away from here. We need to get there fast."

Lili didn't even wait for Asuka and left the theater running with the device. The ebony head had a blank look of disbelief in her face. She was going to say it! And something just had to get in the way!

"UGH!" Asuka grumbled irritatedly and left the theater too, leaving all the light's opened.

An hour before noon, the Asian alliance and European single person alliance were down at the famous Spa Resorts Hawaiians in Iwaki, Japan.

This is a large leisure park with fun, entertainment and swimming facilities that made use of natural hot spring waters. Its water park is the main area of the park; it contains the indoor pools, one big pool with connecting little terrains and few little square one's scattered all over the park. There were two big water slides that are so high it is almost reaching the high curving ceiling. The blue water slide is the biggest with four openings leading to opposite square pools at the front and back of the water park. The black water slide is less big in the way that it only has one opening that leads to the biggest pool at the center of the water park. Beside it was a big flat sliding area for people with boards or life buoy with them.

Asuka and Xiayou walked at the right and left with Lili at their middle. All of them including Hwoarang at Lili's back were wearing standard bathing suits.

The water park was so full of people splashing in the pools and screaming in the gigantic water slides.

Lili had white bikinis on; her bra was tied at the middle of her chest rather than her back. She wore a red jacket on top, closed at the bottom until her stomach. Her hair was tied to a ponytail, showing a black single headset plunged in her right ear.  
Asuka to her right was wearing a sports bra colored in black with tight blue swimming shorts at the bottom. She also had a headset at her right ear.  
Xiayou to Lili's left was wearing an orange bra with a connecting yellow round bracelet at the middle on her chest. She wore an orange cloth through her waist to act as a skirt above her panties. She too had a headset on her right ear.

And lastly, Hwoarang, had a rubber textured black sleeveless shirt on top and green beach designed shorts. He had his headset at the right ear also, touching it to connect communication with the others.

These special type of gear lets them talk through the mind without speaking words from the mouth, so it was safe to communicate anywhere without the fear of someone overhearing them.

"Huh, that guy must be here to flirt with all these sexy ladies here." The auburn head shared to everyone.

"You're the only one who does those things Hwoarang, don't put Jin on your level." Xiayou answered him.

"Anyways, we have to split up to look for him." Lili cut in their talk.

"Can't that beep thingy of yours do that for us?" Asuka asked her, looking angrily at the device.

"No, it can only track down for big places like countries and cities; it won't work in a small scale place like here." Lili was carefully scaning the area while talking when she noticed something, or someone from afar. "Let's split up now, I will take the north. Asuka is the east, Xiayou your west, Hwoarang stay here in the south."

Immediately the four of them dispersed to their place of assignment. Lili run to the end of the dome water park and saw that she wasn't mistaking. She saw Anna Williams seating at one of the benches by the side of the pool. The bob cut woman was wearing red bikinis and showing off her cleavage's, making men all over that area to stare at her. Lili found the woman smirking in her happiness of being lusted on.

"So true bitches really do love being the imagination of someone's slutty thoughts." A mature, feminine voice that carried an air of fierceness talked behind Anna. The woman was none other than her rival sister, Nina Williams. Nina walked in front of Anna, blocking the girl's shade of sunlight from the reflecting curve ceiling. She was wearing her trademark violet leather catsuit.

"Sunlight! Sunlight! Get away Nina; I need my dose of skin lighting." The brunette answered her sister, waving her and to push her away.

Nina chuckled with an evil glare at her little sister. She takes Anna's hand and pulls the girl out of the bench, dragging her to fall off the pool.

Lili had decide to watch them after that and was about to leave when she suddenly noticed Jin coming out the back entrance, going close to Nina.

The Mishima Zaibatsu new president was wearing his regular black all clothing, from shoes to pants, to polo and jacket.

Lili quickly told the others that she's found Jin, while trying to get closer to him without warning. When she was trying to hide herself, Anna suddenly grabbed her in the feet. Lili turned her head back and saw how the brunette was struggling to come up whilst making Lili her balance. The wet floor and Anna's constant pulling on her one foot, eventually made Lili slip on the floor but she catches herself with her hands before her face hits the tiles.

Asuka, Xiayou and Hwoarang were on their way now, seeing the small figures of Lili and Anna at the poolside and Nina and Jin talking at the back entrance, unmindful of what's happening.

Anna finally gets up on the surface, panting and coughing so hard. It looks like she didn't know how to swim so her breathe was barely enough, she crawled close to Lili and pushed the blonde's body to roll her, facing front.

"I need air" She said, cupping Lili's face and leaning her head closer to hers.

Xiayou squinted her eyes and saw a better view of the scene, she recognized the bob haired brunette and was about to say her name"Hey, That's A-

"BITCH!" Asuka cut through Xiayou's words, seeing the full picture as well, she ran faster and left Xiayou and Hwoarang at her back. Just a midget, tiny space more before Anna could force Lili to give her a CPR; Asuka kicked her right in the face. The brunette's body went flying far until it hit one of the pineapple trees at the sides of the pool.

Lili was still a bit frozen in her state when Asuka took the neckline of her jacket and pulled the blonde to her back. Xiayou and Hwoarang immediately arrive then.

"Asuka, why did you do that?" Xiayou shouted with horror, seeing that Anna had lost consciousness and had a big black eye at the side of her face that Asuka kicked.

Jin, who was talking to Nina, heard the girl's shouting voice. He's eyes rolled over to see the direction and slowly he seemed surprise when he didn't expect that it was really Xiayou.

"Xiao?" He asked, pushing Nina to the side in order to see the Chinese girl better.

"Jin" Xiayou said with a big smile. Jin didn't smile but he's wrinkled eyebrows loosened at the sight of the girl. He then noticed the other people she was with.

"Hwoarang" He said with a monotonous hard voice.

Hwoarang gave him a snarl. "Jin" he said the guy's name too.

Jin gave a long look at the two before he noticed that another two girls he was familiar with was there. He remembered the ebony that claims to be his relative from his mother side.

"Asuka Kazama" He said, giving the ebony a stare of curiosity.

Nina also studied the four and gave a menacing smile. "Tekken players, huh?" She said in a foxy tone. "It looks like there's a lot of us here today at one place." She gave an insinuation, somehow instantly grasping the exaggeration of coincidence at meeting there.

"Yeah, many of us and only two of you, we will-

Hwoarang was starting to make a fight, but Lili stood up quick and covered his mouth.

"Yes, and that is because we're on a group vacation." Lili tried to fix the sentence that Hwoarang had started.

Jin and Nina both looked at Lili.

"I remember seeing you in the tournament, but I can't seem to recall your name." Jin said honestly, twitching his eyebrows, looking mad that he can't remember it even if he tried.

"I know, right? I always see her vitae at our records but I still can't remember her name" Nina added, nodding at Jin with her one hand at her hip.

"Oh, come on, It's just a simple name" Lili argued to the two, having enough of people always forgetting her name.

"Lili" Asuka called to her in a scolding voice.

"See? It's just Li, repeated in two!" The blonde head pushed.

Nina has seemed to lose her hostile outlook at the four, after seeing how they were acting. She looked back at Jin. "Let's leave now." She said and left before him. Jin gave one last look at Xiayou and followed the Irish assassin out.

Hwaorang instantly blabbered at Lili after the two have left. "What the hell Lili! I thought we were going to take Jin!"

"I said, we were going to kidnap him. If we fought and even if we won against his bodyguard, she'll tell about us, and it'll be a hassle if we both capture them. We'll wait for another chance." Lili cleared out to the auburn head.

"Geez, I wonder when that time comes" Hwoarang said irritatedly.

"You know guys, since we came all the way here, why don't we stay for just another day and enjoy the pools and theme park." Xiayou intervened between Lili and Hwoarang, all giddly talking.

"Oh, God! And now we have this puppy lover girl who's so happy that her crush noticed her."

"Hey! I'm not a puppy lover girl!" Xiayou stepped on Hwoarang's feet, making the guy stomp on one foot repeatedly.

Lili placed her fingers to her forehead. "Well, ok, I guess we can stay." She said, and looked at Asuka. "Is that fine with you?"

Asuka nodded, looking promptly uneasy. When the four of them decided to take a stroll to the front of the water park, Asuka huffed in front of Anna's body still lying on the floor.

A little later after the four had left, another tekken fighter arrives at the pool area. He saw the unconscious body of Anna lying in the floor. He tried to wake the girl, but it was useless since she was in deep sleep and had breathing constrictions from drowning.

The guy sighed and decided to carry the girl in a bridal way, surely bringing her to somewhere she can rest.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **THE NEW ARC BEGINS HERE! and this will be the most complicated one yet!

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Oh, yes, How dare I?! haha, I just wanted to give a scene on how Asuka will react to those kind of situations, and it is funny XD Oh, the swimwear, its also odd for me how I imagined them immediately in those clothes XD

**Trapstarjohny: **Oh well, Xiayou and Jin will be joining the story together soon, like really soon. Hmm, I do wonder if the mystery Tekken fighter will be a surprise, I guess it will but only a little. Thank you always for the compliment!

* * *

**19) FINALLY**

* * *

The Asian and European alliance decided to stay in Spa Resorts Hawaiian after failing to get Jin. Just a few minutes after their decision, they were now enjoying the indoor pools and water slides.

Xiayou has been coming up and down at the water slide, so addicted to it, she pushes the kids that get on her way to the slide.

Hwaorang was frolicking the whole indoor water park, talking with every chick he could find to flirt with.

Lili was sitting at the bench and table area. Her table was a small circular one with a yellow umbrella sticked to it. On the table was a black bag where she had placed their gadgets inside. She was sitting at the right side of the table while Asuka sat at the left.

"Aren't you going to swim?" Lili asked the ebony girl who was accompanying her.

"Aren't you?" Asuka answered her with another question.

"No one's going to watch our stuff; they're really expensive just to get stolen."

Asuka shifted her body sideward to face Lili, she placed her elbows on the table.

"Our princess is now a frugal person too?" Asuka teased Lili, finding it a change that for once, the girl valued the essence of waste when you lose something.

"Yes, it kind of rubs to you when you get poor." Lili said with a tone of humor. Her smniling face fastly went serious after that. "Thanks for saving me back there; I totally froze at that moment."

"Of course I'd save you, as long as I'm here, I'll always save you." Asuka said with a sentimental tone at the end. She licked her lips, up and down and exhaled heavily before saying something again.

"Hey, Lili, about that thing I was going to tell you at the theater…."

Lili rolled her eyes up, trying to remember what Asuka was saying. "Oh, yes, you were about to tell me something back then. What is it?" The blonde head asked, with an excited smile on her face.

"I wanted to tell you that I-

"Hey, aren't you girls going to swim?" Hwoarang interrupted Asuka from talking.

Lili's attention was grabbed by something else again. "No, I have to watch our stuff, I don't know about Asuka here."

Asuka was looking mad at Hwoarang, who doesn't notice it since he was only looking at Lili.

"Well, the chicks here are boring to talk to. Could you get out of here so I can relax in the chair?" Hwoarang told the blonde head.

"There are many vacant chairs around, Hwoarang" Lili had a suspicious twist on her eyebrows, while pointing her whole hand to the many chairs that are empty inside the water park.

"I rest where I want to. Now get out and bring this twerp with you" Hwoarang pointed his finger at Asuka. "That bag can stay here; I can use it as a pillow."

"Fine, if you say so." Lili stood up from her seat and went away from their table, Asuka followed her shortly.

_Ugh! Again with the distraction! Why is there always a distraction?_

Asuka hectored to herself, she was cultivating her anger with her head bowed down and her hands in clench fists. Lili seemed to notice this, so she tapped Asuka in the shoulder.

The ebony raised her head and turns it to face Lili. "Let's try the water slide" Lili told her, pointing her thumb to the big black slide in front of them.

"Ah, yeah, sure, why not?" Asuka answered jittery.

At the top of the tall water slide, Asuka and LIli saw Xiayou at the end of the line. The black haired girl saw her two companions and called them to come to her.

"Hey! I thought you two were crazy to not try this awesome slide!" Xiayou said with so much conviction, her eyes were supposedly sparkling.

"Yeah, it's a good thing Hwoarang presented to watch over our stuff." Lili told the obviously excited Xiayou. The last person in the slide has gone down, making Xiayou run to the slide herself.

She proceeded to the slide on her belly, holding on to the railing to wave at Lili and Asuka. "See you down there!" She said before quickly letting go of the rail and going down the slide.

Asuka and Lili went to the front of the slide now. The height was overwhelming that Lili had to walk away from the edge. "On second thought, I feel like diving from the floor instead." She was attempting to run down the stairs again, but Asuka took her by the wrist.  
"No way, you were the one who suggested this, so you have to slide."

Lili shaked her head. "But it looks so high!" She said, with a terrified look on her face.

"Well of course, where's the thrill if it isn't. Come on, we'll slide together" Asuka pulled Lili to the edge again.

She let the blonde head seat at the top of the slide first. "You should be in the front" Lili commanded Asuka who sat behind her.

"Ah,ok" Asuka said while starting to get up from her position. Xiayou had gotten up the slide again and was too excited to wait for them.

"Oh, come on! Slide already!" she said, pushing Asuka in the back. Lili felt the slipping of her body and tried to stop herself from sliding by holding onto the sides of the water slide. Xiayou pushed Asuka again, making the ebony embrace to Lili for support. The force of Asuka's sudden embrace to her chest, made Lili's hold falter, ultimately making her and Asuka slide down.

Lili shouted to the top of her lungs that made all the people inside the water park, look at the slide.

"Lili, calm down" Asuka told the blonde, trying not to get separated to her by embracing her harder.

"How can I calm down? Why am I in the front?" Lili said, and before any words between her and Asuka could be said again, their bodies had landed on the thick swimming pool water.

Asuka eyes opened in full, seeing nothing but the blue view under water. She raised her body up to get some air, and pulled Lili in the hand. When her head got out of the water, Lili immediately went up after some seconds. The blonde head went to Asuka and hugged her in the neck.

"Ok, that did feel fun." Lili admitted, looking at Asuka while chuckling. "But we are never going to do it again." The two girls laughed together until Xiayou landed on their backs, making all three of them submerge back to underwater.

Hwoarang, who was still sitting at the chair, saw the three having fun together. "Dammit, I need some male friends too." He shaked his head before putting on some shades he had on the pocket of his shorts.

At night time, the four of them had checked in at the hotel of the resort. Hwoarang had his own room while the three girls shared in one room.

The room of the girls was a long rectangular one with three beds laid in a straight line at the right wall. The left wall had a wall mounted TV with a low cabinet at the floor. The comfort room was the first thing in the right of the wall when you enter the room.

Lili and Xiayou were asleep in their beds now, but Asuka wasn't. She was sitting at the edge of her bed, looking at Lili who was asleep at the bed next to her. As usual, the blonde head took the middle position between the three of them and Asuka was always her right side.

For a few minutes, that how it went with Asuka, but she soon stopped staring at Lili and laid flat on her back at the bed.

"Ha…" Asuka exhaled loudly. _It's because you have to be so perfect in your confessions that I'm having a hard time to know how I will do it to you….I can't sing, nor can I dance, and the only instrument I can play is Harmonica's. Who am I kidding? The only thing I can play in Harmonica's is the national anthem of Japan. Ugh? You see? I'm nothing. What could you possibly love me for? _

Asuka stood up from her lying position and faced Lili again.

_You can have better people around you, why chose me? I know as long as I tell you my feelings, no matter how simple and boring I said it. You would accept them. But I don't want to give you that, you're my princess, and I want to give you what a princess deserves. _

Asuka reaches her hand to Lili's face, pressing her fingers in the blonde's cheek. She felt the white, soft, skin of Lili's cheek, and her touch made the blonde head smile and giggle while in sleep. Asuka found herself giggling too.

_You're really stupid you know, you let yourself fall in love with me. I tried to stop mine because I thought it'd be crazy to want you, but really, were we this destined to be together?_

Lili begun to move her hand and hold Asuka's that was resting on her cheek. The ebony jolted, thinking that the blonde had woken up. Lili mumbled and smiled as she gripped on Asuka's hand, then she stopped moving again.

Asuka quietly took her hand away and stood up, planting a kiss on Lili's head.

_Good night, Lili._

The next day, the four was assigned to check out by one in the afternoon. Lili and Xiayou woke up with Asuka nowhere in the room anymore.

They waited for the ebony until ten in the morning before deciding to eat breakfast at the dining hall of the resort.

"What, she just disappeared?" Hwoarang asked the two girls seating together in front of him. He was eating bacons, eggs, hotdogs, sausages, clubhouse sandwich, miso soup and a glass of orange juice.

"I looked for her in the room when I didn't see her in the bed, she wasn't there anymore, but all her stuff was still in the room, so she must plan to come back." Lili said, looking at the feast of food Hwoarang was devouring on.

Unlike the guy, Xiayou and Lili were only eating a slice of strawberry and blueberry cheesecake. Instead of juice, they had hot choco, with Xiayou having tea as a side drink.

Hwoarang noticed how the girl's looked at his food. "What? This is a buffet breakfast, if anyone here is wrong in the way their eating, it's the two of you." He pointed his fork at the plate of thinly sliced cakes.

"Hey, anyone can get what amount of food they want" Xiayou answered him back.

"Then don't stare at my food!" Hwoarang ate his breakfast much faster, having a glare fight with Xiayou.

Lili has disconnected to their world, still worried where Asuka could have gone to.

The ebony missing was just near outside the Spa Resorts Hawaiian. She's been looking for this special shop since morning, and only when she went out of the humongous park did she find what she was looking for.

Asuka entered a small flower shop located just streets away from the exit of the park. The bells in the door were ringing when Asuka opened it and let it close on its own.

An elderly woman was standing behind the counter, the first thing you'll see in the left. She smiled at Asuka and gave a little bow of the head. "Welcome" she greeted her customer.

Asuka smiled at her also and bowed her head, more lowly since she was talking to someone older than her. She then proceeded to look at the flowers.

The flower shop in the inside was just a small square room. Square glasses with wood frames made its walls, the ceiling was a big skylight that let the natural sun give light inside the shop, and of course, vitamins to the flowers.

All the walls had shelves and buckets of flowers grouped in their colors. Each bunch had wooden pole sticks on them, with a blackboard glued on top. The board had the name of the flower, and a little placard that holds what message each flower meant.

Asuka hardly knew anything about flowers so she was happy that the tiny shop provided her this kind of information. She read the boards one by one, comparing what message was best to give.

"Is it for your lover?" The elderly woman at the cashier asked.

Asuka stopped reading and remained silent; she then turned her head to face the woman. "Not yet, I'm actually buying a flower to go along with my confession."

The woman had an excited tone while placing her hand above her chest. "That's very sweet, it's so uncommon to see the woman giving flowers to the boy he likes."

"I'm not confessing to a boy, she's a woman too." Asuka said honestly. She was expecting the old woman to react in a bad way, but the white haired, thin woman just gave her a smile.

"Well, that's even better; men can be a bit boring sometimes." The elderly woman checked the flowers Asuka was looking at. "Have you found the perfect words to give her?"

Asuka chuckled. "No, not really, I mean there's a lot to choose from." Asuka tried to shift her head left to right, until she saw something that caught her attention. She walked closer to the bunch of white, bell like flowers, the group of the white lilies.

She read the placard, instantly having wide eyes and laughing slightly to herself. "Actually, I think I've found it." Asuka said, taking one Lily from bunch.

"The white Lilies, isn't its message quite the opposite of what you plan to do?" The old woman sounded confused of Asuka's choice.

"No, it's just perfect for what I plan to do." Asuka said, holding the flower and giggling at it.

By twelve thirty in the afternoon, Lili, Xiayou and Hwoarang were at the hotel lobby, checking out. Lili was carrying both hers and Asuka's things, still wondering where the girl had gone to.

The three of them had civilian clothes now. Lili had black jeans with a red turtle neck sweater. She had Asuka's black backpack behind her and her body bag strapped to one of her hands.

Xiayou wore denim shorts and white loose t-shirt with the straps of her bra seeable in her exposed shoulders. She had a yellow bag in her back. Hwoarang wore blue jeans and a sleeveless gray jacket with a hood. He carries a sport bag in one hand and their black gadget bag at his other hand.

Shortly after completing their checkout at the lobby, they went out of the hotel and was going to the taxi. Lili was texting Asuka in her phone, which she had bought some time ago after winning in a competition for the budget money.

Briefly after the message was sent, Asuka called her. Lili instantly answered her cellphone. "Hey, could you just let Hwoarang and Xiayou wait first; I just have something to tell you."

"Ok, tell me now." Lili said, raising her hand to Hwoarang and Xiayou to make them stop walking first.

"No, I need you to come here at the park, at the wood bridge on the big pond."

Lili's looked confused. "Fine, I'll be there in a minute." Asuka told her to hurry before cutting the call.

"Did she say where she went?" Xiayou asked Lili, knowing it was Asuka she was talking to just now.

"No, but she told me that she needs me come to the wood bridge first, you two wait here for the mean time." Lili instantly run to the place Asuka told her to.

Hwoarang and Xiayou looked at each other, sighed and went to the waiting shed to sit down and wait for the two girls.

"So how much are we betting that she's finally gonna say it?" Xiayou asked Hwoarang, pointing her whole hand, palm facing at him, as if asking for the money right away.

"A thousand bucks" He answered.

"That big?" Xiayou answered with a laugh.

"Yeah, cause I'm sure I'll win." He gave Xiayou an all knowing look of confidence.

"Well then, there's no need for a bet anymore, since we're both just gonna win." Xiayou placed her hand down and swinged her feet while sitting. For the rest of the time, they just waited silently, possibly excited inside.

Lili arrived quickly at the wooden bridge, extending in four routes and had wooden spiky end roofs colored in dark rich red. The pond below the bridge was so clean it resembled the color of turquoise in the sun's high shining.

She saw Asuka at the middle of the bridge, leaning her back to one of the wooden posts.

"Asuka, where we're you?" Lili asked the ebony.

"I just went to buy something" Asuka answered the blonde.

"Well then, let's go, Xiayou and Hwoarang are waiting for us." Lili persuaded the ebony, pulling her hand to come with her. Asuka stood firm on her position, making it hard for lili to move her.

"I just have to say something first. This can't be anymore overdue than it's been." Asuka told Lili, trying to counter the blonde's pulling of her hand.

Lili stared at Asuka, and stopped pulling her hand. She let go of Asuka's hand. "Ok, say what you want to say." Lili gave the ebony her permission.

"When you confessed to me back then, I wasn't just confused, I was having double thoughts." Asuka started.

Lili felt a shock wave hit her, her eyes widened and suddenly she raised her right hand to stop Asuka from talking. "Wait, this is your answer for me? You could've at least warned me before going here or starting."

Asuka gave her an awed look. "Really? Well, who here confessed out of nowhere in the rain?"

Lili gave her a big shake of the head. "I know, and you should have learned from my mistake, this kind of things, shocks people."

Asuka didn't listen to her anymore, she jumped to continue what she wanted to say, afraid something will interrupt her again, or she might forget what she wants to say.

"When you told me you love me, the first thing in my mind was to look for cameras. I thought you were doing some kind of a TV prank to me. But then I realized it wasn't a joke, it was real."

She said, looking straight at Lili.

"I'm not picky or ambitious so having you is ten folds the luck in my whole life. I wasn't sure about us not because you're a woman too but because I thought I couldn't live up to what you expect of me. I'm scared to disappoint you. I want you to always look at me because you've always been that one person who keeps looking at me. I can feel them, whether I'm standing behind or in front of you, I can feel the weight of your stare, it's sharp, it's warm, it's sweet and I get so perplexed every time I think you're about to give it to someone else."

Asuka just talked and talked, seeing Lili was looking anxious, and closing her hands to fists. The blonde head was nervous to hear every next word she has to say, not daring to cut her from talking.

"I'm insecure and I'm scared about being with you but it's just going to kill me if I can't."

Lili was half covering her ears while half listening intently. She wasn't ready to hear Asuka's answer yet. Or better yet, she was ready but she was afraid that she might just be hoping too much.

"I left because I wanted to buy you some flowers. The nearby flower shop is real neat. All their flowers there have these small placards that tell you what the message of the flower is."

Lili looked at Asuka, quite curious why the ebony changed her topic to the flower shop and ignoring the fact that the ebony went there to buy her flowers.

"I read them, one by one, looking for the best message to give you. Daffodils means you're the only one for me, Jonquil means your feelings are requited, Roses means I love you, but there was one flower there that wasn't a message to you, but actually to me. When I came across this white, blooming bell like flowers with yellow flushed bases, I knew exactly that it's what they call the Lily's. And you know what the Lily's told me?"

Lili shaked her head slightly, saying that she doesn't know.

"The Lily's told me, I dare you to love me." Asuka took another step closer to Lili, when she reached just a step away from the blonde; she took out a big bouquet of the Lily flowers.

"And yes, Lili, I do dare to love you." She handed the bouquet to Lili, who was too astonished to answer anything yet.

Asuka waved the bouquet in front of her. "Well?" She asked the blonde. Lili took the flowers and stared at them. Asuka suddenly opened her mouth, flabbergasted when she saw Lili throw it as far as she could in the pond.

"Ok, let's forget about the fact that Lilies cost a lot, but throwing that doesn't signify you throwing away my feelings right?" Asuka asked the blonde head, she was the one who was nervous now.

Lili looked at the flowers, sailing far away to the end of the pond and slowly drowning in the water. She looked back at Asuka. "No, it's just; you shouldn't be so attached with those flowers. You have your own Lili here."

Lili grabbed Asuka's hand, and together they intertwined their hands together, fitting the holes of their fingers so perfectly. They couldn't savor anymore moment there since they remembered that they made Hwoarang and Xiayou wait.

When the two of them got to the waiting shed, Asuka was carrying both her and Lili's bag now. "Hey, you two, let's go already!" She shouted with a happy voice.  
Inside the train back to Tokyo, Hwoarang and Xiayou were standing at the back of Asuka and Lili, seeing how the two girl's pinkies were hooked to each other. The Chinese and the Korean looked at each other, giggled and clapped their hands together quietly.

When everyone was back in the dojo and all was quiet and all was asleep, the ebony of the compound came out of her bedroom and opened the door to the bedroom next to her. The door was purposely left open by the blonde head inside, and once Asuka got inside the bedroom, they greeted each other.

"Hey" Asuka said to Lili who was lying under her white blankets now.

"Hey" Lili answered her, opening her eyes but not moving from her position.

Asuka smiled warmly and climbed the bed, resting behind Lili and carefully inserting her hands to embrace the blonde.

Lili felt the arms that slowly encircled her waist and grabbed her tightly from the back. Asuka giggled behind her neck, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"Your breath is so cold" Lili told Asuka with a small laugh.

Asuka laughed herself. "Well, let's make it hot then" Asuka took Lili's chin in her hand and turned it to let their faces face each other.

They both felt their heart stop beating for that moment, but at the same time, they were palpitating. It was so quiet in the room with none of them moving that Asuka's gulp was audible to Lili.

Little by little, Asuka leaned her head closer to Lili, she didn't close her eyes like the others, because she wanted to be ready, but it was futile. The moment she felt the first contact of her lips to Lili, everything went blank. They could feel the pressing of one another's lips, and every little, single shift in that press brought butterflies in their stomachs. It was a chaste, little kiss that lasted only for seconds, but as soon as their lips separated, they wanted it to be connected again. Asuka kissed Lili again, this time; she wanted it to be more compelling. Their mouths opened and closed, with the sound of their soft lips touching each other. The moist and the tender sounds clicking and unclicking filled the room, until the rustling of the blankets could add to it because both of them were cupping each other's faces now.

When their kiss ended once more, they were both panting, since they engrossed in each other to the limits of their air. But they don't regret anything. They loved it, this was their first kiss and it was perfect for both of them.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **THIS ARC IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF DRAMA'S SINCE THING'S ARE GETTING MORE SERIOUS AND THE STORY IS AT THE CORE OF ITS PLOT NOW. EXPECT MANY CHANGES AND OUTBURSTS AND OF COURSE, MANY ASULILI LOVE.  
The meaning of the flowers in the last chapter are a hundred percent true. White Lilies really mean "I dare you to love me", men, Yuri is totally romantic!

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Oh yes, the development up to here was long but now I'm more fired up in writing cause my AsuLili can go all out now!

**OppositeCentaur: **Yup, finally, I saw you here again too! :D

**Guest:** Thank you for loving the story :D

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**20) COMING OUT**

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The morning sun is here again to greet the sleeping tenants of the dojo in the center of Tokyo. Two people inside there were being greeted together in one bed.

Lili woke up, feeling the hot glare of the sun on her eyes. She placed a hand above her face, so that her eyes can open. She could hear birds twitting outside her half open window. The curtains were flying up in the cold wind that billowed inside the bedroom.

Her bed companion was smaller than her, calling for the reason why Lili's first sight after whole white was ebony colored hair. The cicada's sound can also be heard; along with the soft mumblings of Asuka, still asleep with her head plunged into Lili's neck.

The blonde head who had woken up first tried to decide what she would do now. She felt like staying like that, acting like she's still asleep was the right thing to do. There was no job to be done today, nor was there any place she has to go to. She had all the odds of just relishing this moment.

She started to move her hand and run the back of it at the hair strands of the ebony. Smiling as she realized that from today on, she doesn't have to hide or stop herself from doing these things.

_She loves me too _

Lili told herself, feeling the happiness that can't be measured even with exponents of thousands. It was blissful, and so comforting. The feelings of love requited and the thoughts of finally, finally, being able to show the person you love, how much you love them. Lili couldn't help but smile to herself, completely drowning herself with the success of getting her deepest wish.

She was thinking and thanking so deeply yet she also noticed it fast that someone was at her door. She slightly raised her head to see who it may be. There were only two choices inside that dojo, but she relieved when she saw it was Xiayou.

The black haired girl slowly, carefully and to her best, quietly, pushed the door to open. She saw the two girls in one bed, so tightly embracing one another's body, but they looked so comfortable in their positions. Her smile instantly showed up when she saw that Lili was awake, and was looking at her.

"Congratulations" Xiayou said tot Lili, squeezing her voice to sound lower. She clasped her hands together, showing how happy and excited she felt for both of them.

"How could you know it already?" Lili asked the Chinese, looking so happy than confused.

"Girl's intuition, I'm just going to leave the two of you now. Enjoy yourselves." Xiayou quickly left as she came, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Again, Lili was the only one awake inside the room. She looked back down at Asuka who was still heavily sleeping. The ebony's closed eyes and slow rhythm of breathing made Lili yearn to sleep more. She went back down to her covers and embraced Asuka, pulling her closer to her. The sleeping ebony also moved her hands to hold Lili.

The sun that started to come out from the east had moved by the center when half of the morning had passed. It was two hours before noon when Lili woke up again, this time, Asuka was awake too. The ebony was playing her hands with Lili, holding it, letting it go, and then catching it again. Her brown pupils rolled sideward when she felt a gaze stare back at her. Their eyes meet and lock like that. Both girls formed an early smile for each other.

"I woke you up, didn't I?" Asuka asked the blue eyed girl that was looking back and forth at the ebony's eyes, and their hands tangled together. Asuka followed this observation of Lili, she knew that the blonde has noticed it by now. Asuka let out a little laugh, and raised their hands together. "I said I'd wait for you to wake up but I got bored and started doing this."

Lili gave her a knowing smile, she shaked her head and then prompt herself to sit up. She didn't let their hands unclasp, in fact, she tightened it even more.

Asuka didn't sit up yet, she remained lying in the bed, with her hand holding Lili's and placed above the blonde's thighs. "We should tell them today." She suggested to Lili.

The blonde head used her free hand to whip some of her hair to the back. "It's not necessary, they know it already."

Asuka eyebrows rose up. "Really? How'd they know?"

Lili turned her body to face Asuka, her feet were atop one another facing sideward. "Xiayou came in here when I first woke up and congratulated me right away."

Asuka looked up at Lili whose head was bent down to face her. The blonde hair that went down with Lili's bowed head touched Asuka's hair that was scattered in the pillow she was resting on.

Lili's blue eyes were shining in the dark shadows of her hair, cascading downwards. And so were Asuka's brown eyes, which was fixated to only look at Lili. Asuka untangled her hands with Lili so that she can lift it up. Slowly, her hand reaches closer to Lili's face. She closes all her fingers and let's only her thumb out, rubbing it from end to end of Lili's lips.

She and Lili blushed and flustered at the sight of one another, they both exhaled warm breaths. Asuka let her thumb continue moving until it stops at the edge of Lili's face, and she holds on to it, touching even the right ear of the blonde head.

Lili's eyes stared at Asuka's lips and quickly she leans down and kisses it. Their lips still stick together when they slowly part away. "I still want to tell them." Asuka said in a husky low voice. Lili and her face were so close they could feel the air going out their noses. "I want to tell them that we're officially together now." Asuka finished her sentence and pulled Lili's lips to hers again. Their kiss was warm and fuzzy to their hearts. They thrived to get the better of getting to know each other's lips, and letting their electricity of excitement travel into each other's mouth.

As they separated again, the sound of their soft lifts echoed in their ears. The taste of each other dallied in their tongues. They were both blushing red and had eyes that shined passionately for each other.

"Then you better get up now and make us all some breakfast." Lili told her official lover, kissing Asuka in the forehead and standing up. Asuka stood up from the bed also; she lifts her hands behind her, touching her back.

"Aw, as much I love sleeping with you, this bed is smaller than mine at Osaka, and I was literally getting crushed in the wall."

"There were many times in the night I was just one move to falling off the bed myself." Lili said, taking Asuka's hand to help her walk better.

"Yeah, but that's not stopping us from doing it again." Asuka mischievously told Lili, giggling through her aching back. Before they knew it they were already downstairs.

Hwoarang was at the dining table eating rice with hotdogs and egg. Xiayou was eating the same food, but she was in front of the TV, watching something with Panda sitting beside her.

"Well, it looks like breakfast is served." Asuka said, seeing that the two other members of the dojo were already eating without them.

"You're not the only one who knows how to cook here, twerp." Hwoarang looked at Asuka, talking while biting the hot dog.

Asuka gave him a nod, with a sarcastic look on her face. She was about to get one of the hotdogs at the plate in front of Hwoarang, but the guy blocked her hand with his forearm.

"Oops, oops, oops, you think I'd be that cooperating after getting dumped because of you? Cook food for your own girlfriend."

Asuka and Lili blushed together and averted their eyes, looking sideways.

"Geez, what an awkward couple, you two are girlfriends now, right? Or do I still have a chance?"

Asuka shifted her head back to Hwoarang. "Yes, we are GIRLFRIENDS, so there's no chance for you at all"

"Actually, even if we weren't together, you still won't have a chance." Lili added in the conversation, her voice sounded off, making it obvious she was only teasing the auburn head.

"That's it" Hwoarang said, pushing his hands on the table to move his chair outward. He stood up and took the plate of hot dogs with him. He walked to the living area and sat next to Xiayou, placing the plate of hot dogs at their front middle.

"Ooh, more hot dogs!" Xiayou exclaimed happily, taking another hot dog with her fork.

Asuka and Lili looked at each other. "I guess nothings really going to change huh?" Asuka said with a smile, looking at their two friends sitting in front of the TV.

"It would seem so." Lili agreed and placed her hands on Asuka's shoulders. "Now go cook us some food."

Asuka was laughing while Lili was pushing her to the kitchen. "All right, I will" She said giggling while she faced her head backwards to see Lili.

She was about to get some food from the fridge to cook when Hwoarang shouted at them.

"Hey! You two! Just because your together now doesn't mean you have to eat separately from us." Hwoarang waved his hand towards the two girls. "There's enough hot dog and eggs here for all of us."

Xiayou also turned around to face her two friends. "Yeah, come on here! This movie's funny!"

Asuka and Lili smiled wide at Hwoarang and Xiayou. They straddled their way to them, getting to sit next to each other at the middle of the Korean and the Chinese. All four of them started to watch the movie, fighting over the amount of hotdogs and eggs left.

"Mou! Hwoarang, stop getting anymore hot dogs!" Xiayou scolded the auburn hair, slapping a fork on his selfish hands.

"Hey, you've eaten more than what I've had, you stop getting more hot dogs!" He pointed one finger at Xiayou, getting irritated again.

Asuka and Lili ignored them and continued to watch the movie, sharing a hot dog pinched in one fork.

Lili was setting up her devices for Jin's search at her bedroom. She took out a tablet which shows the maps to her trigger alarm systems covering the whole place at Japan and countries near it. If any tracking shows that Jin is somewhere near again, they have to get there fast.

She was standing from the table facing her bed, scanning the tablet map for any hits, but it looks like Jin isn't anywhere near Asia. Her finger stops sliding the map when she felt someone hug her from the back. Of course, it was obvious who it was since Asuka was the only one inside the bedroom with her.

Lili smiled, continuing her work while Asuka stayed behind her, moving once in a while.

"Aren't you going to get tired there?" Lili asked the ebony.

Asuka gave her a silent chuckle and shrugged her face, left to right on Lili's back.

"Ok, then, make me your teddy bear."

"Don't mind if I do." Asuka started to lift Lili's body, successfully taking the blonde with her until she reaches the bed and sits on it.

Lili was sitting above Asuka's lap, still being held tight through her stomach.

"Teddy bears can't stand up." Asuka told the blonde.

"Teddy bears should be smaller than their owners." Lili said back to her, quickly shifting her body to face Asuka. Now she was sitting on the ebony's lap, with her face in front of Asuka's. Since she was taller, she had to incline Asuka's back a bit in order for their face's to level.

"Teddy bears shouldn't be white." Asuka took strands of Lili's hair, sliding it between her two fingers and letting it fall down again when her fingers have reached the end of it.

"I'm a polar bear then." Lili gripped Asuka in the shoulders. "And I'm going to eat you now, roar" She imitated a bear roaring lightly, while leaning her face closer to Asuka.

The ebony slightly moved her head away from Lili, acting like she was scared. They both laughed in their childish plays, but it wasn't going to be childish all the way. Once they've gotten over that play time, Asuka cupped Lili's face and pulled the girl to her. They kissed again, for they don't care how many times it's been for a day. They've quickly getting addicted to it, to each other. Lili lifted both her hands and encircled it on Asuka's neck, gripping her hands together because kissing just wasn't enough. They needed to hold each other too, because they're whole bodies are thirsty to get a touch from one another's skin. Every single time they kiss, they won't stop until they're limit, still a bit new and all, they're limit was very short. So, they both hoped internally that as time goes by, they'll have longer limits and won't have to separate just at the nick of time before they're fully enjoying each other.

As they part their lips away, they're mouth stays with a thin glossy line slowly melting in the air as they're tongues goes further away from each other. They would've loved to do it again, but Lili's phone started to ring from her table.

The blonde head turned her head, seeing her cellphone vibrating at the table with the screen lighted up.

"If it's not the alarm, it's either your cellphone. You gotta loosen up with those gadgets, Lili." Asuka told the blonde head who was reaching for her cellphone at the desk.

"Your right, but I can't help but need them." Lili told Asuka, holding the phone now in her hand. She had a surprise look in her face.

"Why? Who is it?" Asuka asked the girl sitting on her lap, curious after seeing the alarmed expression of the blonde.

"It's my daddy's number." Lili told Asuka before quickly standing up from the ebony's lap. She walked to the end of the room and answered the call.

Asuka who was left sitting at the edge of the bed, looked at Lili, the girl seemed calm in the conversation but she was talking in a low audible voice that even with the small distance between them, Asuka couldn't hear what she was saying.

Lili nodded before she put her cellphone down. She looked back at Asuka, having a bit of a sad expression.

"My daddy wants me to come home; he says it's about something urgent."

Asuka rolled her eyes to the side then back to Lili. "Well, I guess it can't be helped then."

Mentally, the two girls were thinking about what something urgent meant.

By evening that day, all four members inside the dojo were at the first floor, carrying their stuff.

"Ok, so I'm going back to Monaco, and I don't know how long I would be there and I thought that it will be unfair if I'm the only one leaving. All of us can have a break for now." Lili spoke in front of the three Asian alliance.

Lili first looked at Xiayou, and Panda, who was standing at the left. "Xiayou and Panda, you can go back to China or wherever you live here."

Then she looked at Hwoarang who was standing at the middle of the two girls. "Hwoarang, you can go back to Korea."

And lastly, she looked at her girlfriend. "You want to come with me?" She asked, of course, she was laughing because she meant it as a joke.

"If I just could." Asuka answered with a laugh too, understanding that her girlfriend was joking. "I'll go back to Osaka." She added with light nods.

"I will contact all of you once I get back here, or if I get a hit on Jin. For now, let's all have our unexpected vacations." Lili said, talking to the three in general.

The five of them had one last destination together, the Narita International Airport. Hwoarang and Xiayou and Panda were able to book a flight for an hour later, while Lili was to leave immediately after arriving there. Asuka's flight was the last from the three, leaving in two hours.

The three Asians and Panda accompanied Lili until the flight boarding area. Hwoarang gave the girl her suitcase that he volunteered to wheel, very happy that he beat Asuka to it.

"You take care there." Hwoarang told the blonde head.

"Thank you, you take care too." Lili answered him with a smile, wheeling her suitcase to her back.

"You better contact us fast Lili, me and Panda are really bored in the summers" Xiayou said while wiggling the blonde's arm.

"I will, don't worry, the alliance is not over yet unless we catch that Jin Kazama of yours."

Xiayou blushed at Lili and slapped the blonde's in her arm. "Don't say it like that."

Lili didn't seem to mind her slap and just giggled along with the others. Hwoarang, Xiayou and Panda gave their goodbyes, saying that they should at their own boarding area by now.

Asuka was the last one left with Lili, standing in front of the blonde head, she was striking her ticket to the palm of her other hand.

"Sucks is as sucks get, I hope this won't last long." Asuka wore an irritated grin.

"You'll be the first person I'll go to once I come back." Lili looked down at her ebony little girlfriend.

Asuka had stopped messing with her ticket and placed it inside her pocket. "That's mandatory." She said, before pulling the collars of Lili's brown overcoat and tiptoeing her feet in the ground. She kisses Lili there in front of the many people, not caring if they look at them or whisper about them. Lili herself was surprised, she felt embarrassed and overwhelmed at the same time. Her eyes couldn't close from the shock. After Asuka pulls away, she still held the collar of Lili's overcoat, making their faces level each other.

"That's to make you come running back to me." Asuka spoke in a cheeky tone. "I hate seeing you leave so I have to go now. Take care." She said in a mild, sweet voice.

She let go of Lili's collar and fast walked away, her face was glowing red.

Lili looked at the ebony leaving, and found herself chuckling. "I guess I'm the submissive one." She contemplated before rolling her suitcase to the line formed just now, for the people boarding the plane to Monaco.

The next day, at the heart of Monte Carlo and the ripe morning of eight, Lili had found her way back inside the big empty office of her father. The Rochefort Mansion wasn't living up to its name anymore. Even the big logo of the Rochefort Company at the middle of the floor of the office was blurred and almost scraped off now.

Lili had taken off her overcoat, revealing her clothing under it. She was wearing tight black rubber pants and rubber boots. Her top was a long sleeve laced trimmed blouse.  
She was standing at the middle of the room, waiting for her father to speak.

Mr. Rochefort was back facing Lili, reading something from a white folder in his hands. He was wearing an elegant double breasted suit jacket with peaked lapels, all colored in black except for his white inner polo.

When he turned around and saw his daughter, he placed the folder on top of the small table just a step away from him. He left the folder open and made a hand gesture to Lili to come closer.

Lili walked close enough to the table, glancing at it as much as she could.

"Emilie, you should change into a dress, we are going to a dinner." Mr. Rochefort commanded his daughter in a calm voice.

"What kind of dinner Daddy? Is my clothes not formal enough?" Lili pointed her whole hands to the clothes she was wearing.

"It's a union dinner." Mr. Rochefort answered without anything to add.

"You're getting married again, daddy?" Lili asked not hiding the surprise in her voice since she knew that union dinner meant the meeting of the soon to be wed with their family.

"No, Emilie. You are." Mr. Rochefort told his daughter directly.

Lili immediately felt frantic and mad. "No!" she shouted fast to her father after getting over the blow. "Daddy, you told me you would never force me to anything I wouldn't like. I'm not going to get married!"

Mr. Rochefort shaked his head, understanding his daughter's reaction. "I know Emilie, but we have to do this, look" he handed the open folder to Lili.

The blonde girl didn't take it, so her father had to flip the pages for her. There were different profiles of wealthy looking men, all young and handsome.

"These are only some of who I have talked to that have agreed to be arranged in a wedding with you. I did my best to find the guy that would suit your tastes, Emilie."

Lili slapped the folder away, making the papers fly all over the room.

"Well what if my tastes have changed Daddy?" She asked with an angered tone.

"Then, I will let you choose from what suits your tastes. Emilie, if you marry one of them all our problems with money will be gone."

"I'm not going to marry any of them….daddy, I'm already with someone right now." Lili confessed, a bit hesitant to say it all out.

"Well, is he rich? If he is, I will let you marry him. Anyone who can make us rich again will be fine." Mr. Rochefort was talking so desperately that Lili had shaken her father in the shoulders.

"Since when was money this important for you Daddy? This important that you would sell me off to anyone?"

Mr. Rochefort removed his daughter's hands from his shoulders and gripped Lili's wrists. "I 'am only doing this for you Emilie. I don't want you to settle for anything you're not used to."

"There are other ways to make this right Daddy, and that doesn't include me getting married." Lili tried to harden her voice more, she was resentful for talking back to her beloved father but she was afraid he would push the matter more if she didn't show how strong her objection is.

"That's why I'm telling you that you have the chance to choose the guy you're with right now, if he is rich."

Lili struggle to take her wrists away from the tight hold her father, she run to the middle of the room rubbed her wrists to make the stinging better. "It's a she, not a he and she's not rich either." Lili confessed another one, this time she wasn't hesitant. She was strong on her voice and resolve.

Mr. Rochefort eyes went so wide and he's mouth opened in the air, slowly his hand closes into a fist and slams it hard and loud into the table in front of him. "Don't talk so selfishly Emilie. I did not raise you to be an immoral contribute to this world! I did not raise you to do what's wrong just so you could do mutiny."

Lili was holding her tears inside, and stoned her heart for just that moment. "No, Daddy, saying that my love is immoral is what's wrong. My love for my girlfriend is not out of my selfish mutiny for you or anyone else. In fact, my love for her is the most unselfish thing in my life; it's the only part in me where it's so easy to always think of her first before my own."

"This is outrageous! Is this the reason you went back to Japan? To clear those abnormal feelings of yours? This is the last straw Emilie. Every time I let you be, you discover a bad thing after another. I am grounding you. You are not to fight nor to see that woman of yours anymore."

Lili was starting to feel her tears come down, but she stopped it. She fell down to bended knees in front of her father. "I would accept your punishment for grounding but I will never stop seeing my girlfriend. I love her, no matter what."

"Why? What do you see in that woman for you to love her so much that you would bare this kind of prideless show in front of me?" Mr. Rochefort couldn't believe his daughter who is a woman of superiority would kneel down just to get what she wants.

Lili wasn't standing up, she raised her head up to face her father while talking. "I was always smart and snappy to know what to answer to any question someone will ask me, but your question is just impossible to answer daddy. You don't need a reason to love someone so much, you just do and you can't help falling in love more."

Mr. Rochefort shaked his head in disappointment and walked out of his table. He stood just in front of his kneeling daughter. "Speaking like a true love drunk, I never thought I would see you this devoted to someone, Emilie. You were always firm and cold in your interaction with people. This woman of yours is a curse in this world, she's your kryptonite, and she's your weakness." He said with a voice that yearns to haunts the fear of his daughter. But Lili wasn't taunted by this, she shaked her head lightly, showing her disagreement.

"No, she's my life support. Love can never make you weak daddy. It makes you stronger to the point that you'll say you're use to pain and still want to love her." She let out in an emotion filled voice, so calm yet so powerful.

Mr. Rochefort had a grief stricken reaction, causing him to fall down on his own knees and embracing Lili. "Emilie, why? why do you need to love a woman? I would be happy to let you be, but why does it have to be a woman?

Lili's one eye had shed a tear without her knowing, she only noticed it when it fell to the jacket of her father's suit. Carefully she raised her hand and wipes the tear, she sniffs her nose and then she pushes her father gently away.

Lili offered her father a weary smile; she takes the handkerchief that she knows her father always places in his right pocket and uses it to wipe his tears.

"Daddy, I want you to know that I still love you even if you don't understand or accept me. I know it's hard and confusing but I really do love her. But you're the man I Love the most in this world, so I want you to be my best supporter." Lili was crying now, and she isn't minding her tears anymore.

Mr. Rochefort heart has mellowed from his anger, he stopped his daughter from wiping his tears more and grabbed his princess head, pressing her to him in a hug.

"Shhh" He calmed Lili down from crying. "Your right, I still can't understand or accept it, but I hate seeing my baby cry." patted his daughter's head. "I'm a bad daddy for making my little princess cry." Lili moved away from her father and looked at his eyes. The sweet father gave his daughter a kiss in the forehead.

"I won't stop you from what you want, if you forgive daddy." He said to Lili, holding his daughter's hand and squeezing it lightly.

Lili nodded and smiled at her father. "I'm sorry for hurting you too daddy, but you always told me that love is better than violence so I stopped fighting with my rival and started loving her."

Mr. Rochefort let out a big chuckle. "Now that's twisting my advice there." He said pinching the nose of her daughter.

They stood up from the floor, with Mr. Rochefort guiding his daughter up. Sebastian came in the room and saw the red faces and eyes of the two.

"Sir. Rochefort, Miss Lili, are the two of you alright?" The worried butler asked.

"Yes, we are, Sebastian." Lili answered the man. "And did you know I'm with Asuka now?"

The white haired butler seemed surprised for a second then he nodded. "I see, I had prayed you would accept your feelings are more than rival affections for her, Ms. Lili, Congratulation's."

Mr. Rochefort looked confused at his butler. "So, you always knew and you never told me?"

"This is my way of telling you Sir." The butler simply answered, sounding so serious that it made Lili and her father feel like he was joking, but nobody laughed and the room became so quiet, and after a few seconds, they all just laughed.

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**Sad to say but I'll be leaving for a field trip at my school and won't be able to update until Friday night.**  
**However, Lili and Asuka will reunite at the next chapter, and they're going to be all alone at that whole chapter so expect it to be full of cheesy, loving moments :D**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **Ok, I know this is a day late from what I promised, so I'm sorry but I did my best to post this within Friday but I couldn't come home early enough. For the record though, it's just 1 am in the morning of Saturday, so please forgive my one hour late post.

Oh, and yeah, Jin is finally going to be a part of the story for the next chapter and so on. Let the Jin x Xiayou, begin.

**AsukaEnergetic1: **I wish you enjoyed your time in your favorite asian fanfics site, hmm, I'd love to visit that too. :D the road to proving shamming Gayness is wrong is a big one in this story so just wait for that!

**Trapstarjohy: **hah! I told you you'd love Hwoarang here, and we're not even getting to the good parts on him. Wait on! and always thank you for the wonderful comments!

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**21) DISTANCE**

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Still in Monaco, Lili was inside her bedroom, sitting at the middle of her bed. As per usual, her bedroom is the only thing untouched by the downfall of the Rochefort. All of her expensive furniture's and stuff were still there. One may even be doubtful that their family is bankrupt if they only enter her bedroom. Lili was silent, exhaling now and then, staring at the pink curtains of her canopy bed, and thinking.

She was thinking of two things, simultaneously. The first thing that she was thinking about is her girlfriend. She's been home at Monaco for three days now, and she hasn't contacted Asuka even once.  
Lili was under grounding by her father for one week. Mr. Rochefort promised his daughter that he will let her come back to Japan after her grounding, but for the meanwhile, she can't have contact with anyone so her father took her cellphone from her.

The second thing she was thinking about was Jin; she wished every hour that there will be a hit on him. Her father had let her keep the alarm tablet and also promised to let her leave if ever there was a hit on Jin. Yes, she had told her father everything, causing a great shock to Mr. Rochefort.

Mr. Rochefort was worried about her daughter's plans, and tried to tell her to back out, but the blonde head persisted that she will be able to do the mission. Mr. Rochefort gave Lili her grounding in order for her to think about things more.

After another series of exhaling, Lili propped out of the bed and walked to the big, tall window at the end of her room. The shining sun outside made the glasses reflective enough that Lili could see her whole reflection as if staring at a mirror.

"One week without talking to Asuka...daddy, you're killing me." She said, seeing how lonely her own face looked at the glass. The blonde was wearing white silk pajamas with the alarm tablet always in her pocket. She paced around her big, wide, being so bored and agitated to just go back to Japan.

She wanted to sleep so that time will come by faster, but that's all she's ever done in the past three days. There's a limit to how much one can sleep, since even if she tried, Lili couldn't push herself to sleep anymore.

Her food was delivered by Sebastian inside her room, and Mr. Rochefort would come by in the afternoon and before he sleeps. Although he agreed to let Lili do what she wanted, Mr. Rochefort still gave insinuations about the fixed marriages. Always and always, Lili rejects him even before he finishes talking. The blonde even wished sometimes that if her daddy is only going to talk to her because he wants her to agree to the fixed marriage, then he shouldn't just come at all.

Again, that night, Mr. Rochefort visits Lili again, he didn't tell about the marriages anymore so Lili felt a little happy, but he did bug her about Asuka.

"I'm telling you daddy, I love her." Lili was sitting up in her bed, ready to fall in a long sleep again. Her father was at the side, standing in his own gray pajamas.

"Lili, what kind of future do you even expect with her?" Mr. Rochefort's voice was again melancholic, and persuading to haunt Lili's fears.

But again, Lili wasn't close to be affected. She answered her father with a sharp, confident look and tone in her voice.

"A good one, daddy, a future you will be proud of me."

Mr. Rochefort, nodded a little, feeling lost to her daughter's powerful, promising remark and at the same time, awed at Lili's resolve. He can't imagine the future as beautifully as Lili, nor can he trust his daughter's words, but he's had enough of a proof to know who his daughter wants to be with the most.

"How can you be so sure?" Mr. Rochefort wanted to know what his daughter expects in the future.

"Because, whether it's bad or good, as long it's with her, it's always going to be good."

Mr. Rochefort let out a little chuckle and patted the top of Lili's head. "You're very good with your words, Emilie. Every time you answer my questions, you make me accept you little by little."

Lili smiled at her father, happy to hear about his slow acceptance of her. "But the choice you made right now is a very hard one. Triple the times of what straight couples experience." Mr. Rochefort, placed his palm on Lili's cheek and squeezed it a bit.  
"But I promise to be there for you."

Lili's smile widened more, making her father smile too. Mr. Rochefort kissed Lili in the forehead before leaving the girl's bedroom and going to his room.

For a big chunk of time, Lili just looked at the ceiling, thinking again but this time, it was about her father. She had a mindset that one day her father will fully accept her, and then she can make Asuka meet him, and the two of them will be close and then….

Lili's train of thoughts stopped. Her breathing stopped. Her body turned frozen.

She felt the alarm in her pajama pocket going beeping with a loud tone. The screen lights up in red through the white silk fabric. Quickly Lili stood up from her bed, immensely happy, that she can finally go back to Japan now.

Leaving at the middle of the night, Sebastian brought Lili to the airport for departure. Mr. Rochefort was asleep now, but Lili left him a letter at his bedroom desk, while at the same time, taking her cellphone back.

Once Sebastian left, Lili wheeled her one luggage, which was her pink suitcase while excitingly opening up her cellphone. As soon as the systems go on, hundreds of messages flooded the inbox, making continuous ringtones play in the cellphones speaker. The people around the airport started to look at Lili, who immediately muted her cellphones volume.

At the line for the airplane boarding, Lili checked all the messages and missed calls, all coming from only one, and no other person but Asuka. It would seem like the ebony was having her own time of missing Lili at Japan. The blonde head laughed lightly to herself, thinking how Asuka must be frantic that she didn't reply to anything the ebony texted, and for not even answering her calls.

Lili wanted to give Asuka a message right then and then, but she stopped herself, knowing that she will see the ebony by tomorrow morning. She can just explain everything there.

When she arrived at Japan, she took the taxi to get to Asuka's house in Osaka. She knocked on the gate a lot of times, but no one was opening it. Then it came to Lili that the girl must be at the dojo. Lili straddled her way up the hill and arrived in front of the dojo. The doors were opened ajar, but she couldn't hear the familiar yelling of those training martial artists. Quietly and slow, Lili opened the door wider, seeing Asuka standing near the end of the dojo, alone, with no else inside.

The whole dojo was clean and quite except for Asuka whowas doing breath exercise. The wooden floors were shining with the little shards of hot sunrays coming through the awning windows at the top of the walls. Humid wind also came in through those same windows, creating a comforting temperature and nature like scent inside the dojo.

Asuka, who was breathing in and out, wasn't aware of Lili who had successfully entered the dojo. When Asuka stopped her inhale – exhale exercise, she moved her feet in a stride and cartwheeled up the air. She lands on her hands and knees, by an inch away from where she launched. She stood up again and did another cartwheel, this time; she also tried doing a low kick before stretching up to stand again. She rubbed her palms with training gloves on to dust off the dirt.

She was looking at the floor for no reason and only raised her head when something caught her attention. Coming from her back, and coming closer to her every second, Asuka could hear someone singing. But it wasn't just someone, because she knows whose voice that is. She might have only heard it once, but it's been engraved in her mind and heart since then. It was a voice, seductive, alluring, low yet temperate, and touches the very ends of Asuka's heart, like no other voice. It was her favorite music, it was her favorite sound. For a second, Asuka was afraid that she must have entered a delusional state by now. How was it possible that she could hear Lili's voice when the blonde wasn't there? And so, with a lot of courage and curiosity built in her, Asuka turned her head. She first felt surprise, before joy, when she saw Lili, definitely there, and was coming to her.

"Lili?" She said with a big smile on her face. It was a smile that didn't just express happiness, but also longing and confusion.

Lili was still making her way to Asuka, doing a sexy, but exaggerated catwalk in her high heeled white boots, and waving white frill dress. She was still singing the song she started, and didn't stop even after she finally reached in front of Asuka.

Asuka was patient enough to wait for her to stop, she didn't care, and she missed Lili's voice anyways. She just stared at the blonde, letting her end the song as she wants, but Lili doesn't finishes the song, and instead cuts it at some point.

"Was that the Emilie Style you were just doing?" Lili asked the ebony, so sure that what Asuka was doing a while ago was not a Kazama style but rather her style.

Asuka giggled, embarrassed to be caught in action. She nodded playfully at Lili and took the girl's one hand. "I was missing you so much, and tried doing that to remember you. If I only knew that could summon you, then I would've done it days ago."

Lili felt a tingling feeling inside of her. This made her happy beyond anything. Asuka missed her, and wanted to be with her. It was more than she could have ever dreamed of. She couldn't help but smile so genuinely at her rather unexpected, sweet girlfriend.  
But this wasn't time to chitchat over those things yet, she was back there for a better reason.

She continued the song she was singing to where it left off, and stopped it again, asking Asuka if she knows what song it is. The ebony raised one of her eyebrows, giving an answer that she wasn't sure was correct.  
"You and I by Lady Gaga?" Asuka's voice was even a question in its own.

Lili gave her a nod, this was correct, she was singing You and I by the notorious all out singer. And after she finished the song, she repeated its first three lines again.

_It's been a long time since I came around  
Been a long time but I'm back in town  
This time I'm not leaving without you_

She emphasized her voice, more like talking at the last stanza. After she sang it she took Asuka's wrist and clasped her hands around it.

"You're going to accompany me somewhere" Lili told the ebony before turning back, and pulling Asuka to come with her.

The ebony did her best to stop counter Lili's pulling, by standing firm on her place.

"Wait a minute" she said, before pulling her hand back along with Lili. Fast like the wind, she turned the blonde to face her and made their lips touch one another. Her hands traveled at Lili's back, pushing the blonde's body closer to her. Lili reciprocated the kiss by leaning her head lower for Asuka to just reach without having to tiptoe. It was a good thing no one was around the dojo, because they are able to fully enjoy their hot, possessive kiss. It is possessive as possessive can be, because they tried to own each other. They travelled each other's mouth and tried to get even deeper. After a few seconds in their literal burning kiss, Lili felt Asuka's hands travel lower from her back, until it reached behind her thighs. Fast and ungentle in a way, Asuka lifted Lili from the floor. Their lips separate for a little moment until Asuka could bring her girlfriend up to a nearby table and sitting her there. Their foreheads touched one another as they panted, and looked into each other's eyes. This time they were just the same height, which made it easier for Asuka to kiss Lili. Again, they kissed for a long time, embracing one another and just tasting each other's lips. There was too much action and too much longing in their kiss, that both their lips were red and almost bulging with a glossy texture when they broke away.

Asuka took Lili's chin and raised the girl's head to look eye to eye with her. "I think you're forgetting that you're with your girlfriend." She said with a big smirk in her face.

Lili smirked back at her, and raised her hands to grasp Asuka's hair, not able to control herself from clutching that short ebony hair. "You're right, I missed you." She said, before kissing Asuka in the lips again. "But we have to go now; I have a hit on Jin."

Asuka face seemed to reflect how she agrees with Lili, she nods once at the blonde and helps her get down from the table she sat her own.

Now inside a private jet plane, Asuka and Lili was standing at the end of the jet. The back entrance was opened, making strong waves of wind slap Asuka and Lili's face. Their hairs were flying to their back and they could hardly look outside.

"Want to go skydiving?" Lili asked Asuka, tilting her head to the open sky.

Asuka looked scared and excited at the same time. "We can do that?"

Lili shaked her head and made a slight giggle before closing the door, making all the strong winds refrain.

"No, unfortunately, that's not part of the budget." She walked back to the only two seats inside the mini jet plane. The two sits were brown leather cushioned facing one another, left and right, with a window view at the middle.

It was a bit sad that they have no time to sit around those comfy looking seats anymore since their trip will only last for half an hour, and most of that half hour was already spent in looking at the skies from the back door.

Once they arrived at their destination, the jet plane didn't park anymore; it just stopped for a while, setting out a rope ladder where Asuka and Lili went down on.

The place where Jin is right now is one of the smallest yet rich countries in the world. It's a country filled with more foreigners than its native citizens and very popular for its theme parks in the part of Asia. The two girls were now in the capital city of Hong Kong.

They arrived at the center of Tsim Sha Sui, a part of Hong kong's capital where dozens of foreign shops, hotels, restaurants and extravagant malls are erected. One place particularly at Mody Street in the Tsim Sha Sui, Asuka and Lili checked in at the five star hotel of Regal Kowloon.

The hotel was Islamic architecture inspired, complete with all gold and brass colored in the walls, with extensive colorful flowery ceilings and the fragrance of Islamic cuture swarming in the air.

The two girls were both carrying large black bags, but aside from that, Asuka had an extra luggage. She was also carrying a blue sports bag, where most of her and Lili's stuff are. Lili purposely chooses a room at the highest floor, and the last one to the right side.

When they opened the door of their room, it was a wide big square room. The left side had a mounted flat screen TV in the wall, a big air condition installed above the ceiling at the middle, a big wide, one bed at the other wall with a side table that had an electronic body where all switches can be found. There was a high coffee table by the big window at the end of the room, with two thin, red cushioned chairs as a set.

Lili placed her black bag there and began taking out her spying devices. Asuka puts the other black bag on top of the chair close to Lili and lets the sports bag fall to the floor, just next to the bed.

Asuka lays at her back, immediately in love with the cold, rich, soft texture of the bed covers and mattress.

"You actually chose a one bed room huh? I wonder what those check in staff thought about us."

Lili was setting up her recorders and alarm systems, when she couldn't help but laugh at Asuka's question. "I bet they think were on a honeymoon." She said, still laughing.

Asuka's eyebrows twisted confusingly, she sat up in the bed and bended her feet close to her. "Why would they?" She asked, laughing herself, but a bit hesitant than Lili.

Lili was just answering her with a laugh and tried to busy herself with the device set ups. Asuka pushed the question again, and this time, Lili was calm enough to answer her.

"Well, this room is what they call the Newly Married."

Asuka had a total astonished face. "No way, you totally said we were to them?"

Lili's face was wiped with more astonishment than Asuka. "No" She said and had to let her laugh out before continuing. "I only told them to give me the cheapest room in the last floor, so they gave me the two bed bedroom, but then they looked at you from behind me and one of the staff asked me if I was with you. I answered them yes, but then they asked me again, if I was with you, with you. I answered them yes again, quite confident too. After saying that, they promoted our room here with no extra charge and even a fifty percent discount!"

It was now Asuka's turn to laugh so hard. She had to embrace herself in the stomach just to control it. Lili also laughed, forgetting for a while that she was assembling something.

A few minutes later, Lili had finished all the devices needed. She a laptop opened on top of the coffee table, showing the graph where a red dot which represents Jin can be seen moving and moving. The laptop had two wires connected to it, one was connected to the recording machine, while the other was connected to a small telescope like device. The telescope like device had a microphone at the end, which is slightly placed outside the window.

Asuka checked the things that the blonde had fixed up; she touched them lightly and tried to study them for a while. "What are these for?" She asked Lili.

"Can you see that hotel right there?" Lili pointed her finger at a nearby hotel from the Regal Kowloon. The hotel she was pointing on was the Conrad – Hilton hotel, one of the finest and most expensive hotels in that country.

"Uh-huh" Asuka mumbled, looking at the Conrad Hotel.

"Jin is checked in there, our room is exactly parallel to his, which makes it capable for our recorder to get sound from this close distance."

Asuka nodded with a bit of doubt in her. "How'd you know where his room is?"

Lili took out another small device from her frill dress. "This one is something that will show everything of Jin's current records in travels, including what room he is given when he checks in at a hotel."

Asuka only looked at the device. "Swell, so what do we do now?"

Lili went to her laptop, and adjusted the recording machine to give out an alarm signal.  
"All conversations in phones or through person will be received by the recorder, while everyone who goes inside of his room will be photographed by the camera. We wait for a change, and if theres a weak point in the gurading, we can attack."

"So, we're going to attack, just the two of us?"

The blonde shaked her head, left to right. "No, once we get the chance, I'll be calling for Xiayou and Hwoarang."

"Ooh, so we just wait for now?" Asuka began to pace back to the bed and lie on her back again.

"That or we can spend some quality time together until this alarm stops us." Lili said as she made her way to the space on the bed next to Asuka. Quickly their hands held each other but they lied silently for a long time. When Lili shifted her position, she rested her head on top of Asuka's chest, locking eye contact with the ebony.

"Why wasn't anyone at the dojo?" Lili has been curious of that fact for a while now, and after remembering it, it was the first thing she asked Asuka.

"Everyone went to a swimming trip." Asuka told her.

"Why didn't you come?"

Asuka raised her shoulders. "I didn't want to miss you if you ever came back. I guess my decision was right." Asuka felt the juddering of Lili's giggle above her chest. It sent shivers down her spine. "How about you? What took you so long? Why didn't you contact me? Why didn't ypu answer any of my texts and calls?"

Lili's happy feelings faded to half, this was a tough one to tell. "I was grounded by my daddy…..I told him about us."

Asuka's eyes went so wide with shock. "Did he made you stop being with me? Is that why you couldn't answer any of my messages or calls?"

Lili was averting her eyes, confused herself on what to say. "Yes, he did. But he's fine with me coming back to you, it's just, he can't accept it yet. He took my cellphone away as part of that dumb grounding, that's why I couldn't contact you or answer anything you sended to me. But I read them all before coming back to Japan, I'm sorry I made you worry and be sad."

Asuka had a sad look in her face, but she managed to give Lili a small smile as she shaked her head. "Apology accepted. I was totally freaking why you were suddenly ignoring me, I thought you've changed your mind and didn't want to come back anymore."

"That would never happen." Lili told the ebony, leaning herself closer to Asuka's head, and kissing her lightly in the lips. They parted fast this time, and remained indulged in their thinking, creating a silent atmosphere.

It was too silent, that the air condition could be heard in it's mechanism of blowing out the frozen air. The ambiance in the room had been transformed into something serious now, and Lili had to add something more to that. She swallowed deeply before she started to tell something.

"My daddy wanted me to get a fixed marriage." She confessed to Asuka, who was instantly taken by a troubled expression in the face.

"Don't worry, I didn't accept it." Lili added to comfort Asuka. The ebony head was clearly relieved. Asuka pulled Lili's body into a tight hug above her.

"Good, I don't want to share you with anyone."

Lili's heart skipped so fast, like it was the clouds in heaven that was embracing her. Her sweet, sweet, romantic Asuka, is really very, possessive of her. More than she ever imagined. It was at this time that Lili learned to trust in the saying of _distance makes the heart grow fonder._


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hehehe, I haven't updated for a long time. I'm sorry, it's exam week, and It'll be a week again before my next update. But after that, I'll be faster again. :D ****I hope you guys, missed AsuLili, I know I did. :D This chapter is a big one, so brace yourselves!**

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Yeah, yeah, I like KPOP too, but I'm actually more of a JPOP, but I won't deny those beautiful, beautiful, korean ladies :3  
Oh, you're vision of Mr. R will someday come true, we just need to see how that will happen ;) More action and love in this chapter, hope you enjoy.

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**22) _It_**

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At the world renowned five star hotel of Regal Kowloon at the center of Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, two girls still laid in the single big bed inside the farthest room to the right, on the last floor.

They have been waiting for an alarm for the past two hours, and still nothing.

Asuka was facing the alarm systems seeing the tiny red dot moving a little, then stopping somewhere for a long time. Asuka sighed, after becoming bored of just looking at the grid alarm, so she faced the other side, where Lili was typing something in her phone. The blonde head's left hand was left vacant, so Asuka took it and held her hand with it.

Lili's eyes drifted sideward, she gave her girlfriend a little smile before closing her phone, and fully facing Asuka.

"It's boring huh?" Lili asked her girlfriend the obvious.

Asuka's eyes rolled up as she exclaimed "Totally"

"What do you think we should do then?" Lili asked her girlfriend again.

"Make out?" Asuka said a matter of factly. Lili had to let out a giggle, as if she treated it as a joke.

"We just stopped a while ago" Lili took out her phone from her pocket again, and checked the time. "See? It's only been 15 minutes." She then putted her cellphone away again.

Asuka opened and closed her hand that was clasping Lili's; she looked at it, and at Lili's face. "It's funny were always this close in bed but we haven't ever done it."

Lili's eyes went rapidly wide. "Is _it_, what I think you're pertaining to?"

Asuka had a bit of a shy look; she had a light hue of red in her face before she nodded to Lili.

Now this was awkward. The two of them looked at each other and cackled nervously, they're hands holding have began to loosen, and they both blushed, blushed so hard.  
Lili's eyes started to avert Asuka's while she started to break the ice.

"Well, we haven't been that together for so long."

Asuka nodded again, and started to talk herself. "I know, but it always felt like we were capable of doing it even without us being together, and then we'd just have to accept then that we do love each other."

Lili felt the humor in Asuka's words, it catched her attention into fully re-averting her eyes back to Asuka's. "Well, I still think what happened to us is a better love story."

Asuka's eyebrows were bent "Yeah, but it was kind of long….things would've gotten faster with my side of the story." The ebony said with a sarcastic tone.

Lili shaked her head and poked a finger on Asuka's forehead. "No, the story got longer because of you, actually. If you accepted me from my first confession, it would've been faster."

Asuka smirked at Lili as she tried to raise her head up and catch the blonde's finger to bite it. Lili was able to avoid it fast, and gently pushed Asuka in the chest. "Crazy head." Lili said to her kind of mischievous girlfriend.

Asuka just gave her girlfriend a calm laugh, before scooting herself closer to Lili. "Hey, Polar bear, have you ever done it with anyone?"

Lili's whole face became red with surprise. She immediately, violently shakes her head. "No" she said shyly.

Asuka smiled at her. "Me too" She said, pulling strands of Lili's hairs. For the mean time, the two of them were quiet again.

Lili who was most under pressure kept wandering her thoughts to something else, but her mind always came back to _it._ Why did Asuka have to surface _it_? How did they end up talking about _it_? Lili asked herself. Then she asked another question, was she willing to do _it_? And of course she was. Her heart was beating mad, and her mind hadn't stopped imagining now.

Without saying anything, Lili just moved from her placed and pushed Asuka to lay on her back at the bed. She made her way above Asuka and sat on top of the girl's stomach. She just sat there, straight and unmoving, while looking at Asuka who was confusingly looking at her.

"But we can do _it,_ now. If you want to" Lili told her girlfriend, who had a rather raw expression.

Asuka looked a bit sad. "If you're joking me, please stop, because I really do want to do _it._"

Lili laughed and took Asuka's cheek, making the ebony face her directly. "I'm serious, crazy head."

Asuka still had that sad look on her face. "But this is your first time, are you fine doing it with me?"

"Well, are you fine with me?" Lili returned the question to her girlfriend.

"It's really weird I don't have second thoughts at all, it's like I just know I want to do it with you." Asuka confessed to Lili who was massively exultant to hear it.

Lili couldn't hide the wide smile on her face, and the swaying feelings she felt. "I want to do it with you, I'm very sure of it." Lili leaned her head down and caught Asuka's lips with her.

Asuka slightly pulled away and took Lili's head in her hands. "I would love to do this now, but is this place alright with you?'

Lili gives Asuka a small smile, leaning her head closer to the ebony. "Anywhere is fine, as long as it's with you." She whispered to Asuka's ear.

Slowly and literally hot to their touches, Lili and Asuka take off the clothes of each other. LIli reached for Asuka's blue vest, pulling it to the girl's back and successfully helping Asuka slide her arms out of it. Looking longing at Lili for a while, Asuka then buried her face on Lili's neck while unbuttoning the blonde's frill dress. Once all the buttons were opened, the dress came falling fast, but stops midway to Lili's body. Asuka and Lili panted with nervousness before they begins to kiss each other in the lips while Lili was left to take her arms out of the long white sleeves and letting her full dress unfasten from her body. Asuka pushed her weight over Lili until they both fell down, with Asuka above Lili now. The ebony found Lili's dress at the end of her feet; Asuka kicked it off the bed while not taking her sight away from Lili.

"We won't need that for the meantime" Asuka told Lili before she sat up and took off her whole jumpsuit, fast and excitedly before she comes down again and shares a consuming kiss with her girlfriend.

They kissed each other for a long time, fighting over who gets to be on top, tossing and turning now and then. Finally, after a lot of struggles, Asuka was back on top, she was catching her breath while smiling at Lili who was also catching her own breath. They could hear their beating hearts inside their ears as their bodies trembled with the feeling of their bare skins scratching each other.

"Are we really doing this now?" Asuka asked the girl below her, laughing a bit in disbelief.

"We haven't even started yet" Lili told her and pulled a part of her bra up. "We still have these on."

Asuka looked blank for a second, and then she suddenly gave Lili a smirk. "You're right" She said before taking off all that's left to cover her body. When she was all naked now, Asuka's hand gripped the waistband of Lili's panties, trying to pull it down.

Lili had blush a thousand red hues now, slightly stopping Asuka, but she still failed and soon enough even her bra was taken away from her. Asuka took the blankets under them and place it above her and Lili.

"Spread your legs" Asuka told Lili, who blushed for the first time she heard it.

Slow and feeling very embarrassed, Lili did what Asuka told her to do, and by the next second, she could feel their bodies rubbing each other. It was fast, and gentle and a bit rough, like how she would've expected it. Asuka was doing everything, and Lili, well, she was just a bit paralyzed with this new experience. Lili could feel Asuka's breasts above her own, and the heat coursing through her whole body, every time Asuka moved up and down, and up and down. Both of them were quietly moaning, and sounds of panting mixed in with that. Asuka turned her head to Lili, only looking at her for a second, and then she kissed her in the lips. It was different from all their other kisses because not only their lips were touching now. They kept on shifting their heads, left to right, with their hands cupping each other's face.

Their lips that were always tender and soft felt hard and strong now. They kissed like life depended on it. It was wild, it was wet, it was all around their face, and their necks. Asuka could feel Lili's hand's strangling her short hair; she could feel the roots of her hair being pulled by Lili's fingers. And then Asuka stopped kissing her girlfriend just to tell her something.

"I love you" She said with her lips not even an inch away from Lili's.

Lili's lips curled to a smile. "I love you, Asuka." She answered with her blue eyes looking into Asuka's brown ones.

"I love you, Lili." Asuka said once more. Lili shaked her head in a slow motion with her eyes closed. She then opened her eyes again and holded Asuka's chin. "My name is Emilie, and everytime you say those words to me, I want you to call me Emilie."

Asuka smiled and said exactly what Lili wanted, and even more. "I love you, Emilie. I love you, Lili, I love you Polar Bear. I love you whoever you are." Her face had tried to come closer to Lili, ignoring the hands that were holding her chin. When they kissed again, Asuka moved her hands down the blankets and caressed her girlfriend's breasts. For a few seconds Lili still felt uneasy with their first time, but she loved it how Asuka's body was this close to her, and finally she was able to go out of her comfort zone. Lili started to follow Asuka's movement, synchronizing their bodies shifting. Asuka immediately noticed how Lili was also moving now, so she tried to get it faster. Their bodies shuddered quickly, and they both moaned suppressingly before Asuka stopped moving and just stayed on top of Lili, resting and getting some air.

They're minds were empty for the moment, not really thinking about what they just did, but their bodies were still burning. Their skins which were glossing with sweat and juices now, was tingling from the after effect of their love making.

Lili rested for a while, but she still felt like going on. Her body was harldy feeling contented, and her chest was still heaving with excitement. When her mind had started to work again and her body stopped tingling, Lili gently rolled Asuka's body to lie beside her. The ebony was still tired to react, but Asuka knew what was going to happen. She was also up for another round. Lili took advantage of Asuka's tired state and claimed the top for now. Asuka didn't mind it and just stayed quiet while smiling at Lili, but she soon found herself moaning when her girlfriend squeezed her breasts. Lili's head leaned down and took one of Asuka's breasts to her mouth. The excellerating feeling of her breasts being fondled and slurped at the same time made Asuka cover her mouth, afraid to yell the moan she knew would be loud. It took minutes before Lili's mouth let go of Asuka's breast and another minute before she stopped holding them. Then she just stared at her girlfriends bossoms before going up to reach Asuka's lips. Their hands travelled to their necks, and again their bodies started to move up and down.

Their first time went on for a long time, something to be expected when all those romantic and sexual tensions just get stored for a long time. When the time came that they did stop, neither of the two made an effort to put on clothes anymore. They just went to sleep, embracing their warm naked, naked bodies to each other.

By the next morning, Asuka woke, seeing the light lemon colored ceiling. She opens and closes her eyes repeatedly, trying to take away the blurriness. Her right hand travelled the space next to her, feeling nothing. Asuka's eyes rolled to her right side, seeing only the blankets beside her. Her face scrunched up with confusion.

"Good morning, Asuka." The ebony girl heard the voice of the person she was looking for. The calm, quite sound came from the other side of the room.

Asuka mildly sat up in the bed, carrying some blankets to cover her naked turn around and saw Lili, wearing a white bathrobe. The blonde was sitting at the chair beside the coffee table. All the alarm systems were gone now.

"Good morning, Emilie" Asuka answered her girlfriend's greeting first. "Why're the alarms gone?"

Lili took out her small tracking device. "He's moved his location. I heard what I needed in the recorder just now."

"And what is that?"

Lili smirked at her girlfriend. "He's going gambling, and we all know where it's best to do gambling."

Asuka rolled her eyes up and thought about the place for a while, and then she rolled her eyes back down and stared at Lili. "Enlighten me." She said to the blonde.

"Macau" Lili tells Asuka with a lingering tone of emphasis. The blonde head stands up from the chair and takes another white bathrobe, already placed on top of the table next to her. She paces closer to Asuka and hands the bathrobe to the ebony.

"Let's pack up Asuka; we're going to the country of Casino's."

Minutes later, Asuka and Lili had their primary fighting attires on now. Asuka was about to close the sports bag she was going to carry, when she noticed how Lili was staring at the bed. Asuka giggled and made her way next to Lili.

"Are you thinking, what I'm thinking?" Asuka asked her blonde girlfriend.

Lili just looked at the bed, scratching her chin in the process. "What will they say?"

Asuka laughed and reached the white covers of the bed; she grasped on it and dragged it out of the mattress in a fast, hard pull. "Well, who cares what they say, we're taking the covers."

Lili was trying to reach Asuka's hands to stop the ebony. "But what if they see that we took it, and make us pay for it?"

"Then we'll pay for it, these covers are special. We can reuse them on our real honeymoon" Asuka and Lili stared at each other. "…one day." Asuka added, sounding a bit shy.

"I'll just leave some money at the desk to pay for it." Lili said trying to change the topic, knowing how she can't handle such a faraway, too happy future conversation.

When the two of them closed the door to their room, minutes later, a room service comes inside the room and sees the folded paper on top of the table. When the man opens it, he finds trice the price of the room rent with a small message, probably written by Lili.

_Thank you for the wonderful experience._

An hour and a half after checking out from the hotel, Asuka and Lili were now at the ferry port of Macau. The ferry port was a big white simple box shape building. They were outside, with the ocean at their right and a highway to their left. Far ahed, downward going from where they stood, Asuka and Lili saw a taxi bay.

"Unlike Hongkong that was colonized by the British, Macau was colonized by the Portuguese. Years before this present day, Macau people were fluent in Portuguese language, but now it's just Chinese here too." Lili talked while she and Asuka were walking down the lane that will lead to the taxi bay.

"This little country is but a 29 million sq. kilometers big, yet it has a total of 43 casino's and counting, which means, there's at least two or three casinos in every million sq. kilometer." Lili continued until they reached the taxi bay. Asuka opened the door to the yellow colored taxi and made Lili come in first, before her.

"To the MGM Casino, sir." Lili told the taxi driver. The fat old driver, who was wearing a black cap, nodded his head, dialed something in the distance meter recorder and started to drive the car out of the ferry port.

"So, to put it simply, these guys are addicted to Casino, and gambling."Asuka asked, showing that she was listening to everything Lili just said.

Lili nodded, and gave an "Uh-huh" sigh. "Pretty much, I guess no one here is unfamiliar to the world of money betting."

"How do you even know these things?" Asuka asked Lili.

"High school history? Have you never listened to your teacher? Or read your history book?"

Asuka shaked her head firmly "Well not everyone does, I kind ofspend my time and enegy with training and fighting, rather than studying."

"I knew that, and that is the very reason why we're the perfect partners. I'm the brain, and you're my muscles."

"I agree, a hundred percent." Asuka said with a wide smile in her lips.

"And speaking of brains and muscles, I already have a plan. We'll be able to catch Jin by the end of this night. I already called Xiayou, she said she'd be here by evening."

"What about Hwoarang?"

"He told me we can just call him when the battle starts and he'll be there in a jiff."

Asuka became confused. "But China is nearer here than Korea, how the hell is Hwaorang going to get here in a jiff?"

Lili took out her cellphone and showed Hwoarang's text to her.

_I'm here at Macau too, been gambling at the Galaxy Casino since forever.  
Text me when I get to beat up Jin._

"I see." Asuka said, quite expecting such a predicament.

When the taxi stopped in front of the MGM Casino, Lili dragged Asuka to the streets until they reached an arcaded alley of shops and stores. Lili pulled Asuka to one of the fashion styly shops that sold extravagant, formal clothes. The shop was Paris fashioned, complete with a mini Eiffel tower that had white Christmas lights blinking on and off. Lili took one of the red cocktail dresses, a black silky shawl, a white sleeveless top, a red velvet fabric and two pairs of black stilletos.

"Wait here for the moment." Lili told Asuka who was sitting at a big yet low, brown circular chair.

For a couple of minutes, Asuka just placed with the strap of the bag she was carrying, until Lili came out on one of the dressing cubicles, wearing the red cocktail dress.

Lili's blonde hair was cascading straight down her shoulders. Her slim body became sexier and seductive looking in the rich red color of her clothing, and her height just gained another two inches in her black stilletos.

"Wow" Asuka said, looking astonished at Lili. "You're beautiful…I mean, you're always beautiful, but this is…wow." Asuka said, circling around Lili now.

"Thank you, now it's your turn to become _wow_." Lili said as she took Asuka's wrist and locked the two of them inside a single dressing cubicle. After another couple of minutes, Asuka was now staring at the mirror. She was wearing the white shawl as a skirt with the red velvet fabric to add more crests in the the top, she only had the white sleeveless cloth on with part of the red velvet fabric, encircling her upper body, going up to her shoulders and down to her back, tied tightly on her waist, and all the extra acted as another layer of a skirt. Lili was fixing her girlfriends hair up, doing a classical bun tie with Asuka's bangs slided down to the left side. That single hair fixing took another ounce of minutes.

When they arrived back in front of the MGM, with their new sexy, gorgeous, eye attracting clothes on, Lili made a last adjustment on Asuka's bangs at the front.

"I know this is gonna make us real jealous but we can just have sex to pay for it"

Asuka blushed and looked shocked at Lili. "Don't talk about that in public! And what do you even mean?"

Lili had finished fixing the ebony's hair. "We didn't dress up like this for nothing Asuka. MGM is literally the biggest and most expensive casino in Macau. Only members and non members who can show millions of properties can enter here, and we don't have either."

"So we're going to seduct the guards?" Asuka asked, looking at the two giant body guards with black shades on.

"Close, but no, we'll be seducting one of the members we see will come in. We persuade them to make us their dates and let them pay for our betting to reach Jin's position at the high betting area."

Asuka's eyes and eyeborws slanted down quickly. "Is it really that necessary? I don't feel like I can handle that, not at all."

Lili sighed before she reached for Asuka's arm and clung to it, swingin it. "I also do not want to do it, but it is the only way Asuka. Come on, please?" Lili pleaded her girlfriend with the notorious puppy dog eyes of pleading.

Asuka was at the dead end now; she couldn't resist agreeing after seeing that cute pleading. "All right, but there is absolutely no physical contact! We're just going to talk with them."

"Of course no, I would kill anyone I find to dare touch what's mine." Lili travelled her finger to Asuka's shoulder and leaned her head down to kiss that same spot. The blonde felt Asuka's body, tremble for a bit.

Lili raised her head and placed two black mini headsets inside of Asuka's ears. "Keep the wireless headset on your ear for the whole night, I'll be telling you what we do next with that."

Asuka slightly nods, and found herself frowning by the next moment that Lili left her and tried to seduce a man who was on his way to the entrance. It wasn't hard for Asuka to find her own money supporter since her dress up and creatively, brillianty done make up and hairstyle, attracted more men than she could ever need. After settling for just a random guy in the flocking men, Asuka tried to act as nice as she could. Once she entered the very room of the casino area, hundreds of people were already there. Tables of gold plaster, chairs of royal red and gold wood, and chandeliers with hundreads of lights and areas designated for a particular game is what the area looked like.

The walls were shining with bronze wood with strips of powerful red stretching until the ceilings. The ceilings were double mounted, carved with acanthus leaves. At the middle of the big casino area, stood the big monument of the golden Lion, its height was almost 4four storeys tall.

Asuka and Lili dragged their pretend dates to the high betting area at the third floor, where Jin was playing with some guys. Asuka and Lili with their pretend dates, went uo the stairs at the same time.

"Xiayou is already here." Lili mentally conveyed the message thru the wireless headset.

"Don't tell me you made her do this too?" Asuka asked mentally also, smiling as she did.

"Well, her supposed date is already inside so I guess she had no choice. She's at the ground floor, doing the other side of the plan." Lili was already able to see Jin from the very first chair at the third floor. She motioned her hand to Asuka, to come closer to her.

The ebony left the guy she was walking with and slowly came to Lili.

"Oh, Asuka, I didn't know you were here." Lili said, holding Asuka's hand. Lili then faced her pretend date "I'm sorry, I have to go now. It looks like my real date is here." The guy who was a brown head and wore a suit, looked confused rather than surprise.

Lili and Asuka didn't mind their pretend dates anymore and just left them at the stairs while running down the first floor again. The two guys looked at each other and raised their shoulders before continuing up the third floor.

"What was that about?" Asuka asked Lili while running down the stairs with her.

"We can't let Jin see us before I detonate the bomb."

"The Bomb!" Asuka yelped in shock, to which Lili quicly covered her mouth.

"Yes, Yes, I won a ticket to the famous band, the bomb!" Lili said out loud, trying to calm the people looking at their direction. After all the bastard rich eyes avert their stare at them, Lili let go of Asuka. "Just trust me on this Asuka, no one's going to get hurt. It's just to make a stampede here. We need to make a wild chase and run situation so that Jin will have a hard time escaping."

Asuka sighed her reluctance and looked scared at Lili. "How do you get these ideas?"

Lili made a mumble of thinking. "Well, maybe because I'm smart, or I just want to show off to you, or you're just a great inspiration." Lili leaned her head and kissed Asuka in the lips, fast and chastely before putting her finger at the wireless headset o her ear.

"Xiayou, detonate it now." She commanded not mentally but verbally, making Asuka duck and cover ears.

Not half a minute more, a loud boom goes ringing in the casino, the whole building shakes like its been hit by an earthquake, and smoke covered the whole place. The people started screaming and running to the exits, but all the doors were locked. Lili saw Jin, jumping from the third floor to the second floor to the third floor.

Asuka felt the shaking was done, so she tried to stand up while getting some balance by holding onto Lili's shoulder. "Whats the plan now?" Asuka asked her girlfriend.

"We fight." Lili said in a tone like she expected Asuka to know it. Both the girls attention were caught by a loud crashing and breaking of the window glasses at the farthest right wall. A silhouette of a motorcycle could be seen in the thick smoke, until a big leather black shoe came out. The figure revealed walked in a confident, model like way.

"Hwoarang, you're dressed up" Lili was wearing a whole bloack suit, with an orange necktie and silver polo under.

"You tell me that, you two look like you won the grand prize." Hwoarang looked back and forth at Lili and Asuka. "Damn it, you two are wow." He said with a disbelieving tone.

"Thanks" Lili and Asuka said at the same time.

As soon as Hwoarang reached the space in between Asuka and Lili, he punched his right fist to the palm of his left hand. "Now where's that Jin that I'm going to beat up?"

"Coming right after us." Asuka said, seeing the guy's route of running directed to where they were.

"I'll handle this." Hwoarang said while stretching his arms to prepare for a hard punch. Asuka and Lili run in sideward directions.

"Long time no punch Jin." Hwoarang greeted his rival, while delivering his punch. Jin was able to dodge it quickly and let out a kick to Hwoarangs right. Hwoarang answered the kick rather than dodging it, making his feet crossed like a scissor with Jins.

Hwoarangs auburn hair, which was nicely combed to the back, began to slide off in its usual messy way. Jin was fairly looking untouched, his calm expression still on his face, but he's eyes were sharply staring at the guy he was fighting.

"What do you need from me? You're with them right?" Jin asked the auburn head, not moving anything in his body.

"You'll have plenty of time to know our reasons by tomorrow." Hwoarang answered him.

"Bring him to the lion statue." Hwoarang heard Lili's command thru his own wireless headset. He started to take his feet down and punched Jin at the stomach. Jin started to answer his punches, kicking now and then. Since Hwoarang could see how Jin won't be easy to drag to the Lion statue at the middle, he made the effort of looking like the pity rival. He walked backwards, and backwards, slowly getting to the middle, close to the statue. Jin was too engrossed in his attacking, that he didn't notice the peculiar moving of his rival.

By the moment that Hworang's back hit the paws of the lion, he kicked Jin in the stomach, pushing the guy, a meter or more away from him. Jin's eyebrows streamed down in a frown. He was going to run back to Hwoarang when suddenly, the floor below him elevated up. His body was slowly losing balance, and before he could attempt to jump off that position, the floors behind him opened. Hwoarang shouted as he gave Jin another kick, now at the chest, ultimately making him fall to the open floors.

Down those removed tiles was a dark, dark place. Jin's body stopped falling, but he couldn't feel floor under him, instead, he felt, something like a net. He was caught inside a big net made of thick and strong, nylon ropes. He grasped one part of the rope, doing his best to rip it off, when suddenly a figure appeared before him.

"I'm sorry Jin." The voice said.

Jin squinted his eyes trying to make a picture of who it was. The figure's head slowly appeared in the little light made by the tuny slits in the tiles above him. It was Xiayou and she was holding an injection, slowly reaching for Jin's neck.

The next thing that Jin knows, the other three members of the alliance were behind Xiayou, looking at him, until he fell into a deep sleep.

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**PS. I went out a bit off my shell in this chapter, and I'd really love to hear your comments about how AsuLili relationship is going...when I drafted this story, I promised myself that it'd be bigger, and more dirtier than Love Gas, but it kind of makes me curious if it fits the story? Any comments accepted. I just want to know if I'm making things right. Thanks again! **


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Woah, I'm totally sorry for the late update. I was so busy with school, I couldn't even have the time to type anything. Anyways, I hope you guys are still there. I'll be able to write faster again, since the busy era is done now...phew! to done with that!**

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Oh, well, first times are always the best to write, and I always thought it be hot with my AsuLili. Marriage huh? well, as the saying goes... there's still a long procession before everything ends in the altar XD P.S. I've been listening to KPOP more, these past days while trying to catch up in my writing, and I think I'm totally liking it more. I like T-ara the most, right now. :D

* * *

**23) We're Your Allies**

* * *

At an altitude of more than thirty thousand feet above the ground, a big private jet plane crosses the seas to land back at the country of Japan. It was morning by the time the Alliance got down from that jet plane.

Hwoarang was carrying Jin in his back. The powerful, brood, president of the Mishima Zaibatsu was still unconscious, and carefully tied up to avoid any escape measures. When their team got back to the dojo in Tokyo, Hwoarang tied Jin to a chair, nailed to the floor. Jin was kept hostage at the room facing Xiayou, which was the last bedroom to the left.

The alliance went down to the living room and rested like tired kids from playing. Hwoarang and Xiayou sat in the sofa with their heads looking up the ceiling, while Asuka had her head on Lili's lap. The blonde's left hand played with her girlfriends hair as she stared straight, looking at the TV.

"What are we going to do now?" Hwoarang asked, sounding so fatigued.

Xiayou tried to move from her cozy position in order to face Lili. "I think it's best if we make Jin feel like a part of our Alliance, than a bad guy we want to make good."

Lili smiled at the black haired Asian, she nodded lightly as she looked at Xiayou before addressing her next words to everyone in general.

"It's not impossible, but…" Lili didn't continue.

"But what?" The other three said in chorus.

"We all need to become friends, with him. I guess the two of you can do it…." Lili pointed her gaze at Hwoarang and Xiayou sitting beside each other.

"Asuka, might too, but I don't know about me."

Xiayou giggled as she walked closer to Lili and tapped the blonde in her shoulder.

"Oh come on, Lili, Jin is a real friendly guy-

Xiayou couldn't continue talking after Hwoarang started laughing loudly.

"Friendly my eye!" the auburn head pointed his finger at Asuka.

"You know how stingy that girlfriend of yours is? Her cousin is the same."

"Jin is nothing like that!" Xiayou steeped on Hwoarang's feet, making the guy's face cringe.

"Hey!" Asuka tried standing up but Lili pressed her hand on Asuka's forehead to stop her.

"My Asuka is not stingy" Lili told Hwoarang.

"Lili" Asuka said in delightment to her girlfriend.

"Once you get to know her, that is." Lili then added, which made Asuka frown a bit.

"Oh, I know, how about we all talk to Jin? Isn't that how we get friends in school? We introduce ourselves, one by one to him and then get to know him better." Xiayou suggested so merrily with a little clap in the end.

All, except her, made the gesture of not agreeing.

"Please guys, we have to get a start here." Xiayou persuaded further.

Hours later, an hour after two in the afternoon, the four of them were standing outside the door of Jin's acting prison room. The room had an installed CCTV inside, which made it possible for Lili to monitor Jin inside. She and the others were watching the devil boy, awake now and was saying something as he stared at the camera. Their screen was a cellphone sized gadget that could record voices, so Lili turned the speaker on, quickly receiving what Jin was saying, or yelling.

"What do you need from me?" firmly questioning and strong.

Neither of the four answered the question. Lili looked at Xiayou.

"You go inside first."

The black haired Asian shaked her head "No, the person who isn't closest to him should be first."

Asuka and Lili exchanged looks. The ebony scratched her chin. "I've only encountered him once, three years ago."

Lili sighed. "I've haven't encountered him directly at all. I guess I really am first." Lili turned the mini monitor gadget off.

"Hey, why did you do that?" Asuka and Hwoarang both asked.

"This is going to be our private conversation with him. No eavesdropping." Lili simply explained before she placed the monitor in her pocket and opened the door.

The three heard Jin starting to ask again, and soon, he's voice dissipitates as the door closes behind Lili.

Inside the long, narrow, rectangular room, the bed at the side was coverless, the windows were covered in eggcarts, Jin was seated in a fixed chair with a square tall table in front of him.

Lili didn't want to have eye contact with the guy, she's been more than just a stalker to Jin for the past month, but she is truly naïve of who he really is. She is the least close person to him out of the four of them at the alliance. Only she had never talked with him alone, only she had never interacted with him alone.

A bit hesitantly, Lili took a sit at the white mono block provided adjacent to Jin. For Lili's side, she felt a bit nervous in the guy's presence, she didn't really get if it was nervousness, fear or unfamiliarity shyness. Jin on the other hand had nothing in his expression to let Lili know of what he could be feeling. Maybe, he was also uneasy with being alone with the girl. Out of the four in the alliance, he had never talked to this girl yet.

"Jin…Kazama, that's weird to say" Lili started out, exhaling her nervousness in a cackle.

"What's your name again?" The devil boy looked accentuately at Lili, he was still trying he's best to remember the blonde's name.

"Emilie De Rochefort, but you can call me Lili"

"Oh, yes." Jin stopped looking at Lili. "Are you here to interoggate me now? Ask me for some ransoms? Scare me to torture? I will escape, and I think you should anticipate it."

Lili couldn't give any reaction but a fast laugh with a wide smile accompanied in her hands swinging in the air. How cocky of this devil boy! She thought, slightly fond of comparing him to his cousin, and her dear girlfriend. So, sometimes Hwoarang does say the truth!

"True" Lili regained her composure by now. "But I won't do any of what you think I'll do, or rather we will do."

"Why did you kidnap me then? Why are Xiayou and Hwoarang with you? And that Asuka too?"

"To put it briefly, the four of us have decided to make an alliance, which is concerned about you." Lili's index fingers were pressed together, pointing at Jin. "Preposterous as it sounds, Jin Kazama, we're an alliance who vows to make you good, again, if you were good before."

Jin looked insulted. "What do you mean? Of course I am good, my father's family are the one's who aren't, the same one's I did my best to strike out the from the Mishima Corps."

Lili shaked her head instantly "But you've done nothing good ever since you got your place as the president. You just declared a world war, and expanded the evergrowing feud of the Mishima and Gcorps. And you've also inflicted direct damage to my family.

"Emilie De Rochefort…I think I know that what you mean is the Rochefort Oil Companies?"

"Exactly." Lili snapped at the devil boy.

Jin remained calm, and tried to give a rightful explanation. "Since the timeline of Heihachi Mishima's rule, the Mishima Corps was always the biggest stockholder of the Rocherfort Oil Companies. My corporation had all the right to take it away from your family. Eighty eight percent of the Rochefort Oil Companies _legally _belongs to my corporation."

Lili was surmounted by some heat wave now. Although she knew a lot about their family's business, she was unaware of this higly important knowledge.

"Well, how about our small businesses you just took some months ago?...on second thought, don't answer that if it also belongs to you."

Jin didn't say anything, Lili stayed quiete herself. When the blonde started to feel uneasy again, she looked at Jin, who was just bent headed in his chair.

"Why'd you stop talking now?"

Jin raised his head. "You told me not to answer if I also owned the Rochefort small busninesses."

"Ok" Lili had a nervous, constricted voice now. "Well, even if-you ruined my family for doing a selfish like stripping all of those from us. I was nearly forced to getting in a fixed marriage because of my dad's shock to money loss."

"I needed all the money I could get, all the resources I can gather. I'm doing the war in order to make peace possible."

"Tsk, tsk tsk." Lili looked all knowingly at Jin. "And you think that your ways of making peace is good? Jin Kazama, I will honeslty tell you that your creating more mess and unfortunes than the peace you want. A good leader is someone who leads his people to progress in the right ways. If you create more bad than good to reach your goal, then you're nothing but another tyrant leader."

The devil boy looked at Lili with a serious expression. He wasn't mad or out of control by this point, actually, Jin experienced an epiphany to what Lili told him.

"I don't know why but I can't find it in me to fight back your words. I think you made me realize just now, the things I couldn't for almost two years already."

"Wealth and power have such a strong influence to people, that we tend to change attitudes when we have it, and when it's taken from us."

Jin nodded lightly. "Lili, I better remember that name from now on."

Lili smiled. "Yes, you should, especially since I hope that we'll be friends from now on." She stands up from her sit and opens the door.

Hwoarang and Xiayou were seating in the floor, leaning their backs at Lili's bedroom door. Asuka was standing next to the door that Lili had just exited from.

"Well?" Asuka said, facing Lili with a worried look.

"It was fine" Lili said in a happy tone, she shifted her head to Xiayou. "He does sound like a good person."

Xiayou smiled back at Lili accompanied with a sigh of relief.

Asuka twitched her lips while she reached for the door handle. She was able to clutch on the door knob, but she wasn't turning it. Lili noticed this, so she placed her hand above Asuka's and turned the knob for her.

"It's going to be fine." She whispered to Asuka's ear before she gently pushed the ebony to enter the room.

Jin saw the ebony enter, and noticed her shock when she heard the door click behind her. For many seconds, they just stared at each other. Jin had a serious face on, but his eyes were pressed down. Asuka had a tough face on, trying to make it look like she isn't nervous. The ebony took her eyes away from Jin and like a gangster; she sat violently at the mono block. Her chair was slightly leaing backwards, her feet above one another, her arms were crossed together.

Asuka felt more in charge now, a reason why she decided to lock eye contact with the boy again.

"Yo" the familiarity of her voice would make you think that they've been close for years now.

Jin looked at her for a long time. "Hello" he then answered after a long silence of staring only at Asuka.

"How's life?" Asuka asked, quite weirded out by how she is talking like this at all.

"Confusing" Jin answered. "How about you?"

Asuka looked at the ceiling then back at Jin. "Peachy-nice." She smiled a just nodded his head.

"It's nice here, everyone's fun to be with." Asuka continued to talk, letting her tough appearance disappear bit by bit.

Jin was thinking of what to say next, honestly, he wanted to agree on what Asuka just said right now. But that's only part of his wishful thinking. He's more absorbed in the part on what they're true intentions are. He firmly believes that this isn't just an alliance to redeem him.

"It does seem like that. The four of you have been together since in Iwaki?" Jin has slowly turned the table on Asuka now. He was waiting for this moment ever since Lili entered the room. He was waiting for a chance to get information about the alliance that they wouldn't tell him about. And of course, the moment he realized that Lili wouldn't be easy to lure in that plan, he didn't even try to do it. Instead he just acted convinced though he was also saying the truth about how he agrees on everything that Lili said to him.

Asuka made her leaning chair stand straight on the floor now. She was still crossed arm but her rigid body seemed more relaxed than before. "No, actually it's a lot earlier than that."

"How early?"

Asuka looked questioning at Jin now. The devil boy was starting to feel like the ebony might have noticed his intentions by now. Asuka then removed her eyes from Jin and counted with her fingers. "Let's see, one, two…yeah, two months before that, in the least I think."

"I see, did the four of you just decide to make this alliance?"

Asuka shaked her head quickly "Heck no, the Alliance is all thanks to my dear girlfriends exotically messed up plan."

Jin tilted his head to the side, his one eyebrow rose along as confusion mounted him. "Dear girlfriend?"

Asuka looked surprised at Jin. "Oh, yeah!" she clapped her hands together. "You don't know it yet….well, didn't Lili tell you?"

Jin shaked his head "She didn't tell me anything about you."

"Then what did the two of you talk about?"

"Business…money…power?" Jin had lost his plan by now. He's mind was preoccupied in Asuka's ghostly ambiguous words. He hasn't noticed it by himself, but he's frankly curious to know where Asuka is taking their conversation.

"What?" Asuka exclaimed unbelievably. She looked at the door then back to Jin. "This private talk was supposed to make friends with you, and she said nothing but those boring things? What did she think this was? A business partnership proposal?"

"It was ok, she was very smart…..why would she need to tell me something about you?"

Asuka was squeezing the ridge of her nose now, her elbows rested above the square table. Her eyes rolled to see Jin without having to move her head.

"Because I'm her girlfriend and she's mine." The ebony stated a matter of factly.

Jin was a calm enough person to not react surprisingly at an instant, though he did feel shock to hear what he heard. "Is that what you call your best friend?" he asked to clear the tidbits of doubt he had left.

Asuka stopped squeezing her nose ridge, and pulled away the hands that were covering her face from Jin. She looked staright into the devil boy's eyes. "No, that's what you call your lover, right?"

Jin's eyes unconsciously widened now. "Oh, so, she's your girlfriend?"

Asuka was beginning to feel too questioned now. "In every definition"

Impossible as it may sound, Jin was a bit mouth open now, but he was able to calm again. "Impossible."

"Feasible" Asuka contradicted him. "If you don't accept us, we don't care, but you're not welcomed as a friend unless you do." Asuka stood up from her seat now. Before totally turning the door knob she looked back at Jin.

"By the way, I knew you were trying to get info from me but you won't get it, from any of us. The alliance is nothing but an alliance that want's to help you, nothing more." As soon as Asuka opened the door, Jin didn't have to wait for the next person anymore. Hworang went inside the room even before Asuka could completely come out of the bedroom.

Hwoarang was stretching his hands straight while looking at Jin with a big grin in his mouth.

"Ji—Ah!-

He was pushed down the floor with the door opening. Xiayou inserted her head inside and looked at Hwoarang who was face first lying in the floor.

"Remember Hwoarang, if I see any mark or bruise at all, you're dead." She warned the auburn head, looking at him on the floor. Before she locked the door again, Xiayou managed to get a glimpse of Jin, who was also looking at her.

Once the door closed, Hwoarang stood up and slapped his clothes to make the dust disappear. "Really that girl is a spoonful sometimes."

Hwoarang was still looking at the door while pulling the mono block and carefully sitting down, facing sidewards to Jin.

"I didn't know the two of you were close." Jin commented, surprised that the two people he's been interacticng with separately for years are also acquaintance of some sort.

"You could say that, she's doing nothing but to torture me, you see what she did just now?" Hwoarang faced Jin; his one had resting on the table with his other hand raised in the air.

"She' always nice with me-

"Of course she is, you're her one big crush!"

"Xiao never told that to me."

"Well how could anyone?"

Jin was going to say something again, but Hwoarang cut him short. "You shouldn't even have her; she's too good for you."

"I-

"She's all bubbly and sweet while you're boring and too serious."

"I-

Hwoarang raised his hand in front of Jin. "Don't talk while I'm speaking." Jin did stop to talk, letting Hwoarang get indulged in his Jin found Hwoarang only complaining about him. And the more the auburn head showed how much he hated Jin's guts, the more Jin wanted to ask him why he was there then.

The auburn head took a quick second of resting after talking so much, Jin rapidly made his way to ask the question to Hwoarang.

"If you aren't willing like them to help me, why are you even here then?"

"I was chasing someone at first; I was aiming to make her mine."

Jin made a worried expression. "Is it Xiayou?"

"No!" Hwoarang fastly corrects him. "Why are you always asking about her?"

"Its not that, it's just…no one's left except her."

"It's Lili." Hwoarang confessed. "Was Lili"

Jin whistled lightly. "That's unfortunate."

"I know right? Wow, you know it already? Are they just shouting it out to everyone now?"

Jin raised his shoulders. "I-

"Anyways, I totally thought I had a big chance, I mean with this handsome face of mine, and my collection of winning fights….hey, you know what, while you're here we should finally settle our draw." Hwoarang put his fist out to Jin.

"I think, I remembered Xiayou warning you about that." Jin reminded the auburn head, calm and unafraid.

"Oh right, damn" Hwaorang exhaled. "Well then there's nothing to talk about here anymore." Hwoarang made his way to the door now. "But don't think you'll get away from me so easily Jin!" Hwoarang's body was half outside now, his fist was again directing at Jin. "You better stay here and fight me, I'll show you just who's the strongest!" He continued to try to blackmail Jin.

"And even when that Xiayou gets mad, oh you're gonna get it-AHHHHH!" Hwoarang started screaming in pain after Xiayou pulled his hair and drag him away from the door completely. The Chinese girl dropped him hard on the floor.

"I'm not mad yet Hwoarang, and don't wait for me to be." The black haired girl warned the haughty auburn head. Hwoarang held his head, trying to calm the painful trepidation of his root hairs from Xiayou's tremendously hard pull.

"Hmph!" Xiayou puffed last at Hwoarang before going inside the room, as last.

Lili and Asuka were sitting at Lili's bed, watching Hwoarang, suffering in the floor. The two girls went to him and helped him get up.

Inside the room, Xiayou was bowing her head, very anxious to face Jin. The devil boy on the other hand, immediately took his eyes to Xiayou's face.

"Oh, thank God, it's finally you." Jin said in a big voice of relief. By this time, Xiayou's anxiousness had mellowed; she lifted her head to see Jin, looking at her like he was really happy to see her. Without saying anything, Xiayou just sat down at the white monoblock and faced Jin.

"You sound so weared off by them…"

Jin exhaled. "They were…I don't know. Lili was normal, Asuka's a hothead, Hwoarang didn't even let me talk…I'm totally thankful that you're here."

Xiayou couldn't hide the little smiled that formed in her face. "As long as it's to help you, I'll always be there, Jin."

"Then….do you also think I'm a bad person now?"

Xiayou shaked her head, slow and surely. "Never Jin, there was never a time I saw you as the bad person you want others to see you."

"You think I'm just acting to be bad?"

Xiayou nodded her head. "I don't know why and what for, but I know you're just keeping up a front. I know you're still as good as I know you are."

"But Xiao, what if I have changed? What if I' am a bad person now?"

"Then I'm here to make you good again. I'll do my best. I won't stop unless I know I can still help you."

"Do you believe I can still be like before?"

"Even better Jin. I always believe in you."

"Do you trust this alliance?"

"With my life Jin."

The devil boy nodded his head once, Jin's suspicions of the alliance has slowly gone away. He doesn't know how sure he is about this set up, but he knows he can trust one person in there. If Xiayou trusts this Alliance, then he trusts it too.

"You guys will be in danger for kidnapping me."

"We're ready for anything."

"I might betray you."

"We've bargained that."

"What if you fail?"

Xiayou smiled confidently. "At least, we tried."

Jin felt his heart settle now. He's currently running a worldwide preparation for war, a hundred of deadly warriors, and evil plans. But right now, inside this confide room, after talking to four people, Jin forms a different perspective. He isn't one to change minds so easily or to give up his plans like a game. Yet, this alliance isn't as worthless as it sounds. Jin's mind was running, running like a car in nitro. He fastly calculates possibilities, other alternatives, and better plans. He considers it true that he can't do bad things just to do peace, because that would mean fixing his own mistakes, and killing more of the people he wants to protect. So, he thought, why not try to take another route, just to see the chances. It's like what Xiayou just said to him, At least, we tried. That catched Jin's attention the most, it was not a question of how but it was rather a question of if. He won't know what he can do if he doesn't even try it.

"Very well" He stated to Xiayou. "I accept the alliance, but I want to have my own terms."

Xiayou looked hesitant. "What terms?"

"I want to join the alliance as a member, disregarding your first goal which was to make me good again. Instead, I want the alliance to accept me as a good person, and promise to help me get a new goal."

"What goal?"

Jin looked at Xiayou for a long time. "I think everyone needs to hear it."

"I'll go call them then." Xiayou quickly opened the door and shouted out to the others.

Jin closed his eyes, trying to push away the patches of doubts still left in him. As soon as the four were all in front of him, Jin was ready to partake in this team. And he was ready to take a new path. A path he wants to trust, that will be better than the one he first created.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Oh hey there, I'm back again. Yeah, I know, late update again -_- but don't worry guys, cause even if my updates take a while to get published, I'm actually working on every chapter little by little, so that the story doesn't get lost. **

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Oh, God, I don't wish to be gone for a month, that's like forever. I was just gone for two and half weeks, and now for another week...  
Yeah, I'm real sorry to make you wait, but I wish you're enjoying your time with the Asian fics website XD. I have a lot of friends who are also in love with the SNSD, and I have a lot of love for them too. *_* but any Korean girl makes my heart go doki doki with their cute faces and great voices!oh and don't foget about those swavy sexy moves XD.

**AsuLili: **I wish to quench your thirst for update with this new chapter, and don't worry, I don't have a single thought of ever quitting this story. I'm just starting to get on the good parts too!

**Society's 1 choice: **Thanks for reading Love Gas, and about your request for Hwoarang to have an OC girlfriend, I have that under schedule, just wait for it :D.

* * *

**24) The Express {Part I}**

* * *

As the clock ticks midnight, a certain girl finds herself yawning in front of her laptop. She stretches her hands up as she tries to fight the sleepy feeling that wants to swallow her to lie down and just leave her work.

As she puts her hands back down, the girl stares at her laptop and sees that she's barely half of what she needs to do.

_Come on Lili, wake up _She cheers to herself as she starts typing again.

Lili was at the second floor, typing on top of the dining table. The whole dojo was black now and the only light source she had was the glowing screen of her laptop. Her eyes scrolled from left to right while following the words she was typing. Her attention is grabbed when the fluorescent light above her began to ligh up.

The blonde head turned her head to the light switch, standing near it was Asuka, looking at her.

"Asuka" Lili said, sounding quite surprised.

Asuka shaked her head while walking to the kitchen. She opens the Refrigerator and takes a pitcher out, leaving it on top of the counter top before facing Lili.

"I should've known there was a reason why you didn't want to sleep together."

Lili giggled at Asuka "I didn't want you stay up with me."

"Tsk" Asuka exhaled with a smile before getting herself a glass and pouring some water on it. She drinks up the whole glass before filling up the glass again.

"Well, your plan didn't work." Asuka said to the blonde head while taking the glass of water next to Lili in the dining table.

"Thanks" Lili takes a sip from the glass. "Come to think of it, why are you still awake?"

Asuka was getting something from the cabinets above the countertops. She took out a plastic of sliced bread loaves, and brought it with her while sitting down the chair beside Lili.

"I couldn't sleep without you." She said earnestly.

Lili gave her a doubting expression. "I'm not buying it, Asuka."

Asuka laughed. "Why not?"

Lili laughed herself. "It sounded like a line directly quoted from a book about a tragic love story."

Asuka was opening the plastic of bread loaves while continuing to talk. "I don't even read books, much less, tragic love stories."

LIli nodded her head, going back to her world of typing.

Asuka took one slice from the bread loaves. She bited on the bread and let it hung on her mouth. She tapped Lili in the shoulder.

The blonde girl shifted her face to Asuka who was leaning her head closer to her.

"Have some" Asuka said while biting on the bread, her words sounding choked up and tight.

"No, it's ok, I'm not hungry" Lili answered while shifting her head back to the laptop screen, but Asuka pulls her body to tilt back to the left side.

"I won't let you continue without having at least a little bite." Asuka was talking better as the bread she was biting on was on her hand now.

"Bu-

Before Lili could continue, Asuka had kissed her in the lips.

For a moment, Lili thought that this was a simple kiss but instantly after a few seconds, she realized that this was different. Asuka was pushing her head firmer and inside their mouths, Asuka slowly shared the bread she was chewing on with Lili. The ebony's tongue travelled inside of Lili's mouth and left after giving Lili the bread she was just eating.

Asuka stopped the kiss and leaned away from Lili, she took Lili's glass of water and drank on it. The cheeky ebony had a happy look on her face as she stared at her girlfriend who was blushing in her seat.

The ebony head wipped the water from her mouth and smiled at Lili while lifting another slice of bread. "So, are you going to eat on your own or am I going to do that again?"

Lili swallowed the bread that still lingered inside her mouth. She looked at her laptop screen and back to Asuka.

"I already told you I'm not hungry." Lili said, taking away the slice of bread that Asuka was holding. She uses her right hand to push the laptop screen down and her other hand to hold onto Asuka's head.

"But I do want to kiss you." She said before coming in for another kiss with Asuka, letting the bread she was holding to fall from her hand and to the floor.

By the break of dawn, Asuka and Lili still hadn't sleep yet but everyone else in the dojo had woken up now. This morning the Alliance, along with their newly acquired member, Jin Kazama, are going to a very dangerous place.

All of them were out of the dojo now, standing just outside the gate. Mornings in the Land of the rising sun are very foggy and cold. The quietness of the neighborhood is ear bothering. Asuka and Lili, along with the others are wearing their significant fighting attires, except for Jin. The brood, demon boy is wearing his simple black slacks and black polo.

"So, is everybody ready to go?" Lili asked while checking her bag of gadgets that were being carried by Asuka.

"Is the ride coming anytime soon?" Hwoarang asked while looking around. Suddenly the wind blew harder above the auburn head, and without a warning, something hits Hwoarangs head with a loud thump. "Ouch!" He yells in pain while scratching the top of his head.

Everyone looks up to see a helicopter, floating above Hwoarang with the rope ladder swinging down close to him.

"Oh, it's here" Lili said as she closed the bag of gadgets. "Let's get going now."

**~*~*~*~ **Half an hour later **~*~*~*~ **

Since it's at the middle of August in Japan at this time, the mountain clearings were still flushed in rich green grounds and azure sunrise skies, but the mountain that the Alliance are going to is not that site seeing friendly type of mountain.

The helicopter brings them down to the base of the notorious Tanigawa Mountain of the Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The mountain has killed seven hundred and plus people who have tried to climb upon it, even beating the prominent Mt. Everest who has only killed a number of two hundred mountain climbers.

Tanigawa Mountain is a steep and tall mountain with toxic avalanche risk when covered with snow in the winter. But even when the Alliance is safe from the possibility of that event to happen, the strong murderous winds of the Mountain is everyday present; ready to swip away those who are stubborn and brave to their bloody endings.

Jin walked first, guiding everyone to the back base of the mountain. At the front base of the mountain, Tanigawa looked like any good looking mountain, but at its back, Tanigawa looks like the killer Mountain it is.

The back base of the Mountain is a labyrinth of rock lava ways, too narrow for even someone as thin as Xiayou to walk with one foot at a time. There were no green life to be seen there, and the mistiness adds another level of creepy to the blackness below the high rock ways will let you know that you are only walking on a plane overhead a big cliff.

Yet, this is just a part of the danger that the Alliance have registered theirselves on. The biggest equation to this problem is not related to nature at all, but to a not trustable man made structure. Jin was able to get past the narrow rock ways by jumping off to a wider road, at least 2 meters away from the pathway that the others were left to stand on.

Lili was the one standing behind Jin so she was the one to first try jumping after the devil boy. She was readying her launch when Asuka touched her shoulder.

"I'll go first" The ebony said while carefully pulling Lili to the side so that she can pass in front of her. Lili pulls on the black body bag that Asuka was carrying.

"This might affect your jumping; I'll just throw it to you after you pass." Lili insisted with a worried voice.

Asuka nodded her head and took off the bag from her body, she handed it to Lili, then she jumped as high as she could, landing perfectly to the other rock way with her feet bended and her hands holding the cold lava floor. The ebony quickly stands up and gestures for Lili to throw the bag now.

The blonde head concentrated her force on the heavy bag and threw it off the splitted pathways. The bag flies in a slow motion to everyone watching until it is so close to Asuka, that the girl has now caught its strap.

The bag still flew in the air, and as Lili was starting to be glad that it got to Asuka safely, a large billowing wind crosses the bag. Asuka felt the pull of the wind, so fast and strong, Jin had to help her hold on to the bag without falling off the pathway.

A pocket of the bag opens, and rapidly to the sight of Lili, one of the gadgets got out of the bag and flew down the pit of black below them. Asuka and Jin stabilized their body again, and quickly pulled in the whole of the bag.

"I think something fell" Jin said while trying to get a glimpse at the deep cliff.

"Yeah, it was the tremble detector." Lili looked at the cliif too. "Just forget about it….Asuka, are you ok?" The blonde head focused her eyes to the ebony, hugging the bag to her chest while standing behind Jin.

"Yeah, I'm ok here" Asuka answers. She puts the bag down to the end of the pathway before coming back to the edge again. "Come on, jump the best you can." She encourages her girlfriend.

Lili walks back for a few steps, making Xiayou and Hwoarang step back too. She then runs and before reaching the end of the path, her knees bend down and her feet soon launches up like a spring in the air. The cold wind bristles upon Lili's face as she travels the blank space between the two hanging cliffs. She lands safely to the other side, having Asuka to help her steady more as she landed on her two feet.

"Ok, now you, Xiayou" Lili said looking at the Chinese. Jin stood at the edge of the cliff now; he stretched his hand, showing the girl that he was there to catch her.

"Right" The Chinese said with a nod of her head. As the flexible gymnast that she is, Xiayou just jumps up to the air and turns her body to a full circle before reaching the other path with her left leg stretching straight and her right leg bending inwards, and her hands lying on top of her thighs.

Jin looked at the girl, glad that she also crossed safely. He was going to look at Hwoarang and give the guy a hand too, but before he can even turn around, Jin felt a big rush of air, hitting him from above. The devil boy looks up and sees Hwoarang landing straight above him. He quickly moves to the side, letting Hwoarang drop at the ground, slowly uncroaching as the dusty fog of the lava pathway clears out.

"So where's the next turn Jin?" Xiayou asked the devil boy who looked at her for a second before pointing out to a near cavern downward to the end of the wide pathway.

"There, it's built there."

Within a minute, the Alliance had entered the cavern, carrying big flashlights with them. Jin tries to touch around the walls of the cavern; his hands could feel the rough, rocky and moist with minerals texture of the cave walls. The others spent some time wondering what in the world was he doing?

Xiayou came closer to Jin and took his flashlight for him, letting the devil boy have both his hands search around the cave walls.

"What are you looking for Jin?" Xiayou asks the guy.

"A switch" Jin simply answers.

"A switch for what?" Lili voices out from the other side of the cave.

"A switch for the doors to open." Jin turns his head and looks at the high, thick walls at the end of the cave. "Those aren't rocks; it's the door to the train."

"Ok, so we just look for the switch somewhere here in the walls?" Lili moves her flashlight around. "What does the switch even look like?"

"It's camouflaged as a rock, either of the bulky rocks in the walls could be the switch."

After hearing that, Asuka, Lili and Hwoarang start scanning the walls for the switch too. Xiayou also helped along.

Almost half an hour later, none of them were still able to find the switch.

"Are you sure it's just here in the walls?" Asuka asksed Jin, beginning to feel cynical that they'll find it at all.

"Yes, it is, I just don't remember what part of the wall."

"Oh, damn it, it'll take us till noon before we find that!" Hwoarang exclaimed with a kick in the wall. Immediately after he lifts his feet up, a loud cracking sound echoed inside the cavern.

"Oh, I found it!" Hwaorang said in a boring, unproud tone.

The thick rocks at the end of the cavern opened little by little, and only at that moment did they all realize that the sound slashing and booming sound meant that the doors are actually metals, designed to look like rocks.

When the huge two doored metals fully opened, the room inside it brightened with both side of the walls having pin lights lighting up one by one. Like Jin explained to them, this is the station of the hidden Mountain Train.

The Alliance stepped inside the platform station, seeing the white marble floors and the rusty, black Train.

The railroad of the train was built in a lower ground from the very platform that the Alliance was standing on. There was stairs provided to go down the rails and a metal bridge that goes straight to the entrance of the train. The tunnel to where the train faces is pitch black and scary, bats could be seen hanging from the roofs, observing the Alliance with their blazing brown eyes.

The train itself was scary in many ways. First and foremost, the liquid minerals dripping from the rock roofs had made the metal train corrode. It looked more like a dark bronze train now rather than its original black color. Some parts were actually falling off because of the rust, and the rails themselves looked brittle due to the many cracks made from falling particles of stalactites.

"Can this train really move?" Lili surveyed the metals at the door of the train, just one pull at the wall metal and it begins to crack into many pieces, falling to the ground like powder sediments.

"It will, the interior of the train is much stronger than the exterior." Jin climbed the bridge that lead to the entrance of the train. He kicked the metal doors, making them shred to multiple parts and the glass window shatter down to the rails.

He looked at the tunnel and made a worried expression as he face the others.

"But, that's not what we should be afraid of." Jin said in a serious tone. "This train's construction was hastened too much and for certain, I'm sure that somewhere beyond this tunnel, the rails are going to be lost."

"Wait, you mean….we don't even know if the rails are even complete? That somewhere in those cliff mountains this train is just going to fall to a cut edge?" Asuka immedaiately reacted.

Jin just nodded at her.

"This is crazy! Just tell us if you want to commit a mass suicide.I'll kill you first." Hwoarang said while fastly getting his way to Jin.

"Hwoarang!" Xiayou pulled Hwoarang in the shoulder, making the auburn head stop walking. The Chinese then looked at Jin. "What's the purpose of continuing this then? We're not even sure we can get to there if the rails are incomplete."

"But this is the only way to get there; we don't have any other means to get to the tunnels below these mountains."

"But what if if we fall off a cliff before even getting there?" Asuka barged in the talk again.

"We're going to have to watch the rails, if it get's cut, we all jump down, and travel the next rails by foot."

"By foot?" Hwoarang shaked Xiayou's hand off his shoulder "The hell do you know if the next other rails get cut, cut too long that we can't even jump over it!"

Jin's face didn't change from his serious expression, though he was starting to feel a bit uncertain. He shifted his face to the one person who hasn't been speaking for a while now.

"How about you? What do you think?" The devil boy asked Lili who was just standing beside Asuka.

The others suddenly turn their attentions to Lili, waiting for what she has to say. The blonde head closed her eys for a second then opens them again; she raises her head to Jin.

"I wan to go, but I don't trust it at all." Asuka, Hwoarang and Xoayou sighed in relief. "So, I want you to just sit on top of the train and watch the rails while we're all inside." The blonde head added without a pause.

"Huh?" The three members chorused. Jin looked surprised himself.

"Lili! How could you want Jin to do that?" Xiayou run next to her, shaking the blonde's arms.

"It's for our own safety Xiao, I don't object to do it." Jin answered from his stand at the bridge above.

"Bu—but" Xiayou could only say in her worry.

"Ah, don't worry already, I'll accompany him" Hwoarang went close to Xiayou; he putted his hands to his head while looking at Jin.

"Ok, so we can go now" Lili straddled to the bridge herself, Asuka following her. The ebony didn't have the chance to say it, but she is really against going further with this ride.

**~*~*~*~ **Hours later in the train **~*~*~*~**

The train was moving now inside the dark tunnel. The rusty metals kept sounding like they would scrape off with the strong wind blowing. The speed of the train was moderate but the uneven rocks in the rails create nonstop shaking in the moving express.

Jin and Hwoarang were sitting at the top of the train, a flashlight in their hands, and their eyes focused on the dark tunnel passage way.

"Yuck, it's warm again!" Hwoarang shouted as he wiped the liquid that fell on his neck. Inside a tunnel cave, there are two things that can only drip. The first is the cold natural mineral of the mountains, or second the warm pee's of the bats.

Jin didn't mind any of the drippings that fell on him, wether it be cold or warm. He also didn't mind the auburn heads every reaction. A knock at the ceiling door behind the two of them was the only thing that took Jin's attention.

He looked at the bulky metal ceiling door of the train, watching it open with Xiayou slowly climbing up.

"Hey, Hwoarang, let's change ships, it's already night time." The two pigtailed girl commented while carefully walking her way next to the two guys.

"What? Night time? We've been travelling for a whole day now?"

Xiayou nodded her head. "Yeah, and it looks like we're still not close." The black head placed her hand above her eyes, she squinted her view beyond the tunnel, unable to see any sign that it's the end of the rails.

"I still need to stay here." Jin said to Hwoarang, boosting the guy to change shifts with Xiayou.

Hwoarang stood up and gave his flashlight to the girl before jumping down the ceiling door. Xiayou shut the door before sitting beside Jin, pointing the flashlight straight in front of her.

"Is it still far away?" Xiayou asked in a small voice to Jin.

"I don't really know, but I'm glad there's still no sign of missing tracks." The two of them talked with their heads still focused on the railways.

Xiayou didn't talk anymore, her eyes looked at the aboding cave, dark and terrifying while her memories reminisced what occurred for the past three days.

Three days ago, the day that Jin was brought to the dojo in Tokyo, the day when Jin agreed to join the Alliance, he shared something to them. Asuka and Lili were standing at the door; Hwoarang was sitting on top of the square table while Xiayou stood next to Jin, who wasn't tied to the chair now.

"A secret hideout" Xiayou said, breaking away from her memory and turning her head to face Jin. The devil boy was just looking straight to the tunnel.

Jin's eyes rolled to his right, seeing minimal of Xiayou's face. "It was my back up plan if ever things went wrong."

Xiayou nodded her head. "You funded for its building?"

Jin's eyebrows bended down "Yes, but the confidentiality of it and the time I wanted it be finished affected the quality of its output. I admit it's not really safe to ride this."

Xiayou giggled, finding it a bit funny that Jin admits his mistake and was stating the very obvious. "Well, we can't help it since you said this hideout has all the things we need to fight back the Mishima and Gcorps…." Xiayou stayed quite for a while before continuing. "Are you really leaving the Mishima corps, just like that?"

Jin smiled for once today, but his smile was small and almost unseeable. He took his sight out of the rails and placed it on Xiayou's eyes. "It's not really leaving, I'm just going to separate from it for the time being.I tried to contact Nina, she doesn't want to be a part of us, but she promised that she won't tell anyone I'm missing. She'll let the whole world think that Jin Kazama is just too busy to see anyone."

"She didn't even stop you or wonder why you suddenly changed your mind?"

"She's not the type to be that caring. The important thing is that her loyalty lies to us."

Xiayou stayed quiet again. She was hesitant to say it, but she worried severely about trusting what Nina said. The Chinese tried to calm herself, Jin is the most hesitant person when it comes to trusting others, but he trusts his former bodyguard, and that's a sign good enough to say that Xiayou should learn to trust her too.

\- To be continued -


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Surprise! I'm back fast this time, but that's only because my first plan was to post the part I and II together but I had somewhere to go so I got late in finishing the part II. Anyways here it is. :D**

**AsukaEnergetic1: **I hope your doing well amidst your family problems, and yeah, totally no escape cause everybody has them *Sighs too*. From the many Kpop fans I know of, I'm totally sure that it's not impossible to say that it's taking over the world XD. This chapter, I wish to present you an AsuLili jammed packed action chapter, so that you can at least let go of your problems while you read;D. I also feel the likeness between Hwoarang and Asuka's personality, but that's actually me just being me, cause they are or rather were both Lili's love interest, so I just went on to write them like a mirror...but they'll break out from there...soon. (I'm becoming a troll again)

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**25) The Express {Part II}**

* * *

The train continues to move in a straight rail going forward to the darkness. Jin and Xiayou were still at the top of the train.

Inside the train, the lights were all opened, and the gadgets are all laid out on one of the train seats. Lili was sitting at another chair, looking at Hwoarang who was deeply sleeping at the chair adjacent to her.

The train keeps shakings and bumping up and down, the lights inside were swaying in the ceilings. Lili yawned as she shifted her head away from Hwaorang.

"I should've slept last night" She said in a sleepy tone.

The blonde head curled her feet up to the velvet colored chair of the train and closed her eyes, ready to fall in slumber but a tap on her shoulder makes her wake up again.

"Hey, Emilie" The voice whispered to her ear.

Lili turned her body around and let her feet come down of the chair again. She embraced herself to the ebony that was waking her up. "Asuka, don't you feel sleepy?" She asked while burying her head to Asuka's stomach.

Asuka smiled as she felt her girlfriend cuddle to her, she bended her body down in order to catch Lili's feet above her hands. Fast and effortless, Asuka carried Lili in her arms.

"I have something to show you" She said to the blonde head whose eyes were open wide now.

Asuka began to walk, entering a door that lead to another body of the train. The train was a five bodied train, all connected with doors on each end. Asuka went inside the last body of the train, putting Lili down. She opened the light switch of the room, revealing crates and plastics and stuffs covered with white blankets.

"Asuka, this is the storage room" Lili said as she walked around a took a look at some of the stuff there.

"It is, but look what I found." Asuka went to the middle of the room; a white cloth covered something that was shaped into a standing rectangle.

Lili walked to the middle too, she tried to guess what the thing is base from the parts she could see. Her eyes noticed the wheels that were uncovered at the floor, and heavy wood texture of the thing's body. She looked at Asuka and gave her a smile.

"Ok, is this something of a karaoke machine?"

Asuka laughed loudly "I wish" She said as she pulled the white cloth off.

Dust came swirling in the room, making Lili cover her mouth and close her eyes. By the moment that she saw what was under the blanket, a certain kind of happiness tingled in her heart.

"It's called an organ right? Like a little piano" Asuka tapped on the keys of black and white at the mini piano instrument.

Lili also tried to push on the keys; a long, slender sound comes out of it.

"Amazing, it's perfectly in tune….why would there be something like this in here?"

Asuka was scanning the back of the organ when she found a power connector. "Hey look, it's also electrical." She waves the power plug for Lili to see.

Lili looked surprised, not expecting the old looking organ to be electrical. "It is" She exclaimed while looking for an outlet inside the room. When she couldn't see one, she tried pushing the other stuff from blocking the walls.

Asuka just looked at her obviously excited girlfriend. "Have you found one?" She teased the blonde head.

"No, not yet, oh, Asuka come on and help me"

The ebony giggled, there are very few moments when Lili would act like this kid in lost of hope.

"Nope, I already found the organ, so it's your job now to find an outlet."

"Oh, I will find one and when I do, I'm going to make you pay. Hear my words Asuka; I won't touch you for three days."

Asuka's mouth went open. "I don't believe you can do it."

"Yeah, yeah" Lili just gave the ebony a wave of her hand.

Asuka was waiting for the blonde head to take back her words, but Lili was just ongoing with moving the stuff around the walls. The ebony left the organ at the middle and kicked one of the crates out the wall at the back. A power outlet appears and Asuka quickly touched it.

"Dibs! I got it first!" She said as she faced Lili who was looking at her now.

Lili broke out to a laugh, holding her stomach in the process. "Asuka, you baka, I was just playing with you."

Asuka scratched her head. "And I was just playing along…" The ebony went back to the organ and took its plug to the outlet. A light opens at a little slit coming from the space above the keyboard. "There, you can play better with it now."

Lili went back to the organ and lifted the plate that hid the lighted buttons at the upper part of the organ. She took one crate behind her to sit on, as she started to push down on some notes.

Above the train, Xiayou and Jin could hear the tempo of the music that Lili was playing.  
The song was a slow, tempting sound of sweetness with fast decrease to a melancholic, reminiscing tone by the chorus.

Asuka went to sit beside Lili now, the blonde head smiled at her and moved a bit further to let Asuka face the organ too.

"Play along with me" Lili offered her girlfriend.

"What song is this anyway?"

Lili's smile turned warmer at Asuka, her eyes looked into the other girl as she leaned in to kiss Asuka before answering the ebony's question. "This song is entitled first love played in the most romantic instrument, just for you."

Asuka's face blushed all over in red; she stood up, feeling her back shudder in tickle of her heaven reaching joy. "God, your romantic." She commented to Lili who went on playing the song, stopping by the finish of the second chorus.

"I've always dreamed that love would be this romantic, sweet and happy experience, how about you?"

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "I...I didn't expect anything" She raised her shoulders and hands up. "I just kind of thought that I'll meet this _guy_ and begin to be all sappy like what I watch in TV, and I'm not sappy so I said, that if there was ever a person in this world I'll be sappy with, I'm sure it's the person I can only love."

"But I'm not a guy" Lili said with a forced smile.

"You're right" Asuka answered seriously. "But I don't care because you're better." She then added with a smirk to Lili. "I just don't feel sappy for you, I'm crazy, crazy bewitched by you." Asuka emphasized with a nod of her head in every mention of crazy and bewitched.

"And I to you." Lili said as an answer to Asuka's words.

"Aren't you going to play anymore?" The ebony tilted her head to the organ.

The blonde shakes her head while putting her hands down on her lap. "No….to tell you honestly, I feel very nervous about this train. Every shaking delivers a tremble in my chest."

"I'll say, I was actually looking for an exit here at the back, that's why I discovered that organ."

"Well, did you find one?"

"Yeah, I did, but it'll be too noisy to break the metals." Asuka looked at the metal door at the right end of the room.

Lili pointed her finger at a plastic of white comfy pillows. "We can avoid the noise if we put those pillows above your hand while you punch it until it breaks."

"Yeah, it might really work" Asuka crossed her arms and nodded her head repeatedly.

"It will work" Lili said confidently, also nodding her head.

They just did that action for seconds until Asuka broke her crossed arms apart. "But we're not gonna do it."

"Got that right" Lili sighed after "Why are you even standing so far from me? Come here and sit beside me." Lili patted the space next to her on top of the crate.

"The train feels less shaky when you're standing than when you're sitting."

"Really?" The blonde head tried to stand up again. "Well, in some degree, yeah, it does feel less shaky." Asuka couldn't help but smile when she saw Lili being so happy about a little thing.

The blonde pushed on a button at the electric organ; she turned her body sideways and walked away from the cart. She took Asuka's hand that rested on the side of her body.

"It's the song you just played." Asuka recognized the sound that began to play from the organ's speaker.

"Yes, I recorded it while playing it, because I've been meaning to ask you to dance with me."

"You know I don't dance"

Lili slowly walked away from Asuka, but she took the ebony's hands with her, stretching it.

"I knew you'd say that, so, how about we make it a game then?"

"What kind of game?"

Lili twirled herself with Asuka's hands, making sure that she goes inside of Asuka's arms and by the end of the move; she encloses the ebony's arms around her.

"You try to follow my lead, every wrong step gets you a slap in the cheek and every right step you take, gets you a kiss in the cheek."

Asuka exhaled. "I can already imagine the imprint of your palm on my cheeks."

Lili quickly pulled Asuka's arms out of her. She then encircled her hands on Asuka's waist, and guided the ebony's hands to rest on top of her shoulder, since she was the taller one. From that position, Lili started to waltz her feet, and to sway their bodies together.

Asuka moved the wrong feet and gets a slap in her left cheek. She gets the second feet wrong again, and receives another slap, and another slap and again another slap. They both laughed at the quirkiness of what they're doing. Asuka didn't mind the slaps she was getting since they felt very light coming from Lili.

The blonde head was readying her hand again to slap Asuka but she stopped midway.  
"Asuka, you did it correctly" her voice said in jumpy tone. Lili put her hand down and leaned her head to kiss Asuka in the right cheek. For a long amount of seconds, Lili just kissed Asuka, not even in the cheeks anymore. She was travelling down the girl's neck.

Asuka giggled as she felt all ticklish with Lili's lips brushing her neck, and Lili's hair brushing her face. "Lili, I think you're overdoing it." Asuka tried to talk amidst her giggling.

"Mmm, but I don't know when you'll get it right again, so I have to take advantage now."

Asuka pushed the girl lightly. "Then maximize your advantage" She said before giving Lili her lips to kiss.

The recorded song had stopped playing now, but the rhythm possessed between Asuka and Lili's kiss continued to play on.

**~*~*~*~** Above the Train** ~*~*~*~***

Jin and Xiayou listened with calmness to the song that played from the end of the train. As the music stopped playing, the two of them realized how they've closed their eyes for the whole time.

"Oh, no" Xiayou and Jin said together as they re-positioned their flashlights to face frontward to the tunnel.

Jin and Xiayuou squinted their eyes when they saw something they wish they were just imagining.

"Missing tracks!" Jin began to shout. "Missing tracks, we have to get down now!" The devil boy rapidly stands up, pulling Xiayou with him. They open the metal ceiling door and jump down the train, just right next to the gadgets that's been blinking a warning sign now.

"Lili, Asuka!" Xiayou began to shout out, while Jin woke Hwoarang up.

The auburn head grumpily stood sitting. "What's your problem man?" He asked the devil boy that was excessively shaking him while sleeping.

"There's missing tracks ahead, we have to get down now or we'll fall with this train to the cliff."

"Huh? Why didn't you say it sooner?" Hwoarang stood up from the train chair and kicked the metal door out. The strong winds came gushing inside the train.

"Wait, Asuka and Lili are at the end of the train, they're running here now." Xiayou stopped Hwoarang from jumping out first.

"Tell them to run back to the end, there's a safer exit there than jumping from here. There's no other platform outside but this very railtracks that the train is travelling on. All that's beside us is pitch black open void that leads to the cliff below." Jin explained as he started to run to the door connecting to the next body of the train.

Asuka and Lili, Xiayou, Hwoarang and Jin soon met up at the third body of the train.

"Just continue to run back" Jin told the two girls.

"No, the gadgets, we can't leave them there." Lili tried to walk past Jin but Xiayou took her hand and stopped her from walking on.

"Lili we can buy another set of those gadgets! We have to leave now!"

The blonde head turned her head to the Chinese and the two boys that stood behind her, all looking worried and disapproving of her to go on.

"But the important maps and records are only saved there, please; just the laptop and everything can be left behind."

"I'll just go and run for it." Asuka instantly went on a sprint to the front body of the train. Xiayou felt her hand let go of Lili when the blonde head tried to wiggle away, stubborn to accompany Asuka.

Xiayou looked at the two girls running, she closed her hand to a fist. "Alright, I can't just wait for them here." She said before sprinting after them herself.

Jin looked at Hwoarang; the auburn guy faced him for a second. "I don't know about you, but those girls are important to me, I'm not leaving without them." Hwoarang shifted his head straight, then he started running after the girls too.

Jin shaked his head and looked out at the window, there was still time before they reach the missing tracks. "I'm not the kind to leave my comrades." He said as he raced and started running himself, quickly reaching up with the others.

Back to the very front body of the train, Asuka took the laptop set with her, Xiayou took the bag of headsets, Hwoarang and Jin shared with the detectors connected to each other. When Lili saw that she had nothing to take anymore, she shouted that its fine now, and everyone started running back to the end of the train.

As soon as all of them passed the second body of the train, everything felt alright, they were all going to make it, and they would have, if only the train didn't suddenly break in two. The connecting cables below the train started to split up after hitting scattered sharp rocks in the railway.

The first, second and third body started to separate from the fourth and last body. Lili who was just ready to cross the fourth body was stopped by the breaking of the floor below her. Without a loud blast or even a violent tremor, the train just spliced into two. She was left to the part that continued to travel to the direction of the missing tracks, while the other's was left safe to the separated part that was slowly stopping to move now.

Lili was still standing firm on her feet, she looked at the road ahead, seeing that she was still amount far from the end of the tracks, she tried to jump out of the train now, but as soon as her feet flew to the air, her body went crashing down the floor again.

The cable wires that got disconnected under the rails have looped themselves on Lili. Her right leg got tightly tangled on the cable wires that were still connected to the metal boards under the floor. The electricity from the wires made her body shudder in pain. She had become more incapable of jumping out.

She looked back at the other part of the train, now far away from her. She tried her hardest to scream as loud as she can, but the electricity that coursed her body through her feet had made her throat dry and her voice too low to be heard from afar.

Lili tried to grab on one of the metal scrapes near her and repeatedly hit it to the exposed metal ducting of the floor.

"Asuka!" Lili tried to yell again. "Please realize it" She was getting more and more exhausted with the electricity that kept on prickling her.

At the other part of the separated train body, the others were realizing that the train was slowing down now.

"Why is it slowing down?" Xiayou asked while turning her head to the back, quickly Asuka gave her the laptop set she was holding. "Asuka, what the heck, I'm already carrying the headsets" the Chinese complained.

Asuka wasn't listening to her, she looked at her back and just realized that the other part of the train was missing now, and so was Lili. Asuka rolled her hands from her forehead to her hair.

"Why did I just realize this?" She said in a horrified tone.

Hwoarang tip toed from his position at the very back. "Where's Lili?" He asked, and suddenly, Jin and Xiayou realized why Asuka looked so lost.

"Oh, no" Xiayou said with a terrified voice.

Asuka jumped down the train and started to run at the railways.

Xiayou and Hwoarang couldn't speak in their fears. They both wanted to say it, but they were scared to, but Jin had to voice it out. "The front part must've have fallen by now."

Xiayou's tears begin to sting at the end of her eyes. She pressed herself to Jin who looked at Asuka, running forward at the speed of the wind.

"Lili! Lili!" Asuka shouted as she ran without a stop, without a care if her feet were starting to tire down now or her heart was palpitating like a ball dribbling nonstop. She pushed her body to continue running, her tears went flying out to the fast air that she carried upon her flight. "I didn't hear any fall yet, she's still there" Asuka tried to calm herself, feeling so nervous. "Fuck it, I can't see anything! LILI!" She wiped her eyes dripping with tears. She was running on a dark tunnel, on a railway that seemed unending, chasing a separated part of their train that travels four times faster her feet.

"Lili, Lili, shout back to me, damn it!" She began to shout out again, clearly frantic and fidgety.

Lili on the other hand, was trying to cut the vines of wires that were slowly melting her boots from high electric charges. She was working very slowly since she was being careful not to hit the open wires and electrocute herself to death. But even if she does do that, the time consuming cutting might as well lead her to a train falling off the edge death.

Lili was slicing furiously with the use of a sharp metal bar. Her attention is caught when she heard low screaming's from the tunnel. She stopped slicing and tried to widen her hearing more. She couldn't make out the words she should hear, but somewhere inside of her, Lili trusted that it was Asuka, coming to rescue her.

"Asuka!" Lili shouted while hitting the metal bar to the metal ducting again. "Asuka! I'm still here!" She shouts again and again.

From the rails still far away, Asuka could hear the metal hitting and she knew that was Lili signaling her. "Lili! Lili! Lili!" Asuka shouted as her speed increased again.

"Asuka!"

"Lili!"

"Asuka!"

"Lili!"

Their yelling's have filled the tunnel, and little by little, they could hear each other, getting closer.

Lili didn't stop yelling while stomping the metal bar as loud as she could, and like a miracle in the sky, Asuka actually caught up with her side of the train.

As soon as Lili caught a glimpse of the running shadow coming after her train, she tried to pull herself closer to the edge and shouted all she can get out with her weak state.

"Asuka!"

"Lili!" She heard in reply, and from there, Lili's tears started to drip down as Asuka finally caught her hand.

From the little light that shed from the emergency lights of the train, Lili saw Asuka's face, looking up to her in a worry, crying herself. The tears of the blonde head fell onto Asuka's face, and she tried to pull Lili to jump to her.

"Asuka, I can't, my feet is stuck" Lili said in a cutting tone. "Asuka, I'm so happy you're here."

"Don't worry, I'll save you." Asuka comforted her girlfriend. The ebony who was still running used Lili's hand to help her climb up the train, she saw the wires that's tangled up in Lili's feet and tried to pull them out.

"Be careful with the open wires Asuka, they're high voltage."

Asuka looked around the scrape metals around and noticed the sharp bar that Lili was holding. She took it away from Lili and with one strong swing she cutted all the wires from Lili's feet. Using the scrape metal bar, she tossed the wiring's to her back and started to carry Lili on her arms.

She quickly jumped out of the train, just in time before it reaches the end of the tracks. She sat at the railway with Lili sitting on top of her lap. They both heard the crashing metals way down the black pit.

They're bodies both shivered in trauma. Lili embraced Asuka and the ebony embrace her too, much tighter and firmer than she had ever done so.

"Asuka, Asuka, thank you." The blonde head was crying incessantly, hugging Asuka in the head.

"Lili" Asuka only said as she gripped hard on her terrified girlfriend's dress.

**~*~*~*~** Back at the Train where Jin, Hwoarang and Xiayou were left at **~*~*~*~**

"Lili!" Xiayou shouted as she saw Asuka walking back while carrying Lili on a piggyback.

Hwaorang went down the train and helped Asuka out, the tired ebony gave Lili to Hwaorang, but she didn't do it to rest. She climbed up the train, walked passed Xiayou and went directly to Jin. Asuka didn't say anything, she just suddenly punched her cousin.

"Asuka" Xiayou was taken by shock.

"It's because of your plan that something like that happened!" Asuka continued to hit Jin. "It's because we had to trust that stupid train of yours!" Jin's face was starting to bleed out now. Xiayou couldn't take it anymore and decide to pull Asuka away from Jin.

"Asuka, it was an accident. It's not Jin's fault if the train split in two."

Asuka was tearing up again, she raised her head and looked at Jin, first her stare was really angry, but she saw how Jin just accepted it. Bit by bit, Asuka realized that it was wrong to blame the guy. The ebony head was still struggling though, so Lili told Hwoarang to bring her to Asuka.

Once Lili was in front of Asuka, she nodded her head to Xiayou. The Chinese led the ebony's body to sit down in front of the blonde head.

Lili touched Asuka in the cheek. "Asuka?" the ebony doesn't say anything to her. "Asuka, I was also very afraid, and I still am, but it's not anyone's fault, ok?"

Asuka started to lock eye contact with Lili; both their eyes were still watering. "I'm just so angry…I thought I was going to lose you just like that." Asuka embraced her girlfriend.

Lili patted Asuka in the back, embracing her too. "Shhh, I was scared of the same thing. Your name was the only thing I was yelling back there." Lili could only hear Asuka's calming cries. She pulled away for a second and lifted Asuka's chin.

"It's fine now Asuka, we're both alright, we're still together." Asuka nodded at Lili. They smiled at each other, letting the tears slide down their faces. Lili pulled Asuka's face closer to her and kissed the ebony right there.

Even when everyone was with them, Asuka and Lili felt like they were only with each other.

A few hours was spent for all of them to calm down from the bad happenings of this day. They all sat quite at one side of the train, looking at nowhere.

Xiayou was wiping the blood on Jin's face with a part of her dress cut off. The devil boy wasn't giving a sign that the punches he received hurt at all.

Asuka and Lili sat together at the end of the train, near the organ. Asuka's eyes were focused on Jin now.

"Apologize to him" Lili whispered to her ear. Asuka shifted her head to the blonde head, looking very weak and tired.

"Wait here for a sec." The ebony moved Lili's body to lean on the organ as she stood up and made her way in front of Jin and Xiayou.

"I'm sorry I blamed you, it was an accident….I was just taken by my anger…."

Jin looked at Asuka. "No, your right, partially it's my fault for pushing this trip, and actually, people say more truth when they're angry."

"That's why I think we should abort this mission for now…." Lili announced suddenly "And have some rest for a while. I'm injured, and so is Jin, Asuka's tried and I'm sure even Xiayou and Hwoarang are."

"I agree" Hwoarang said out loud while raising his one hand. "There has got to be another way than this hell train and one way ticket to death."

"Yes, and we just need some time to think about it." Lili turned her head to face Jin. "It'll also give us an opportunity to be closer to you, and for you to be closer to us."

Jin nods his head. "You're right; we still lack a lot of things when it comes to being real comrades." He then looks at Asuka again. "I accept your apology wholely, and because we are a sort of family, I'd want to be close to you rather than to be someone your mad of."

"Well, that depends on the next days but as long as you don't give a mission like this anymore, there's no reason for us to even be sibling close."

"Vacation at last! oh yes!" Hwoarang stretched his arms up in the air before taking the laptop set and jumping down the wrecked train. "Let's go back now, there's a long walk ahead of us."

Everyone nodded their head in agreement. Xiayou helped Jin stand up. She carried the bag of headsets with her while Jin carried the detectors. Asuka's only carry was Lili now. The blonde's right foot was still painful from the tight grasp of wires, not to metion the sparing feeling of electric charge itching her skin.

The Alliance had another hard time getting back to the platform station in the mountains. By the time they reached there, the sun was setting down again.

Another one hour of waiting was spent at the cold mountaintop before the helicopter comes to pick them up. Everyone immediately feel asleep on the ride and even as they reached home, they all went to their respective rooms and fell directly to sleep.

All except Asuka and Lili. Asuka brought Lili to her room, as soon as she laid Lili down the bed; she also fell to the blonde's bed. Lili crawled above Asuka and rested on top of her. They still managed to give each other a good night kiss before drifting to slumber, after two nights of being awake.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hello, I'm back from the dead! I can't say how sorry I am that I took a long time to update, but I won't blame anyone but my school for giving tremendous school work, ultimately depraving me the time to write my chapters faster. I hope you guys are still there! and don't worry, cause even if updates take long, new chapters will always be served :D**

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Hey, there, I'm sorry to make you wait for a month, I'm telling you I was dying to post this chapter earlier but I keep getting hang in finishing it, but this is finally the day! I didn't put any drama in this chapter so I hope this will just be all laughs and sweetness ^^

**Babeee: **Hello there! Thanks so much for loving the story :D and rest assured that I don't have, even one percent of a plan to quit the story. Updates are taking long, but they will always come ;)

**Mogkupo: **Hehe, I posted this as soon as I was done, like you said :D enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**26) A Day In The Life**

* * *

We've seen the alliance in many situations already, but what might happen in a simple day where our group of super fighting teens decide to act the most normal that they can.  
However, what does normal even mean to them?

Pull to the left, pull to the right. The white frill dress keeps getting taken away by the two of them.

"Asuka, just take everything but this!" Lili cried out, embracing a pair of her white frill dress.

"Why?" Asuka asks her, still trying to take the dress away from Lili.

"You can't wash this!"

"Because it's dry clean only?"

"No…" Lili puts the white dress on a hanger and stretches it straight. "I've had enough of dry clean when I'm with you. The reason you can't wash this is because it's my favorite."

Asuka lifts another pair of the white dress that she was holding. She looks back and forth to the one she had and the one that Lili was holding. "Ok, I give up, what's the difference?"

"Well, for one thing, the fabric in this dress is much more special than the fabric of the other one's."

Asuka felt more curious now, she grasped the fabric of the dress that Lili was holding, rubbing her fingers many times, and comparing it to the feel of the dress she was holding. "I don't feel the _special_"

Lili takes away her favorite dress and puts it back inside her cabinet. "Of course you won't, you're not a fabric specialist Asuka. Now go and twirl everything you want in the washing machine, except my favorite dress." Lili pushes Asuka to go down the stairs, helping the ebony with all the clothes she needs to wash.

Down at the laundry room, just at the back of the kitchen, Asuka was putting some of her clothes to the washing machine. She turned the timer on and sat at a high chair provided at the side of the room.

She could hear sounds of gun shooting and people screaming. Hwoarang went to a store this morning to borrow a playstation, and it's obvious he's been playing the whole time since coming back. The machine timer is done, and Asuka takes out the first batch of the clothes, setting them aside in another big basket for drying later on.

She was putting the second batch of clothes into the machine when she heard Xiayou coming up the second floor, saying things like "shopping in the morning is really fun". Asuka didn't mind the Chinese's arrival; she just went on with her work.

Xiayou came up the stairs, empty handed. Jin was following her from the back, carrying at least six plastics on each hand. Jin was still wearing his casual balck suit while all the others wore simple home clothes. The black head guy placed all the plastics down at the floor of the kitchen.

"Thanks, Jin" Xiayou patted Jin's shoulder, feeling a bit bad that she might have tired him out. Jin doesn't say anything; he only nods as a reply.

"Hey, Jin, stop being worthless and play with me here!" Hwoarang yells out, raising another controller of the play station.

"Jin is not worthless Hwoarang; at least he helped me with shopping unlike you. You didn't even listen to me when I was asking you to come with me to the market this morning."

"Well, I couldn't take my eyes from the game; I was still far from the saving stage" Hwoarang stood up in front of the Television and went to the kitchen area. "You play then, I'll help this girl cook." The auburn head passes his controller to Jin.

Jin looks at the controller, his eyebrows puzzle down into a bridge curve. "I don't know how to use this." He admitted while giving the controller back to Hwoarang.

"Ok, let's switch places again. You help Xiayou cook while I continue playing."

"Really" Xiayou muttered while shaking her head in dismay. She let go of the irritation she's been building up for the auburn head and just concentrated to the work of taking out the contents of the plastics.

Hwoarang sighed as he put down the controller of the game console at the counter top.  
"Alright, I'll help" he said in a bored tone.

Jin looked at the two, already enough speed and manpower to do the simple task. He saw that they didn't need anymore help, so Jin decided to have a look at other things to do. He was sscrolling his eyes at the whole vicinity of the second floor, when he noticed a mountain of clothes, barely visible from the wall at the back of the kitchen.

Jin took his body to the room, mildly hidden at the back, and saw Asuka just sitting at the high chair, boredly waiting for the washing machine timer to go green. Asuka had immediately noticed Jin, but she didn't care if he wanted to take a look, she just acted like she doesn't know he's looking.

Jin's eyes, scan through the mountain of clothes, not one, not two but three. Aside from that, there was another basket of clothes beside Asuka, inside of the laundry room.

"Woah" Jin said without him realizing it.

Asuka chuckled. "Unbelieaveble, huh?"

"You're a heavy dresser"

Asuka pointed her eyes at the three mountains of clothes. "All of that are Lili's; I'm done with my clothes."

Jin gave a quick response of surprise. "You wash her clothes?"

"Yeah" Asuka answeredly so simply.

"Even her…. undergarments?"

Asuka looked sideways, feeling a blush on her cheek before saying an answer. "Yeah, even that….so what?"

Jin steps away for a little. "Nothing…why do you do that for her? Is Lili dominative to you?"

"Please, Lili is nowhere to being dominative. She just acts all high and mighty but it's different between us. She's more like a hard headed kid with me than dominative."

"Ok, umm, let me get this straight, you wash her clothes for her, you cook for her, you give her what she wants, you do what she tells you. I don't know why she isn't dominative."

"Hey, I only do those things because she can't do them herself. She doesn't know how to take care of herself."

"She's very dependent on you then."

"No she's not. Months before, when we first moved here, it took me only until just weeks before we got you in Macau that Lili has been using the same clothes for more than once."

"Isn't that normal? I've been wearing this suit for three days now." Jin pointed his hands at his body.

"Eww" Asuka's face cringed disgustedly.

"I haven't bought clothes yet, ok, I'll buy some later, Xiao already said she'd take me to the mall."

"Good for you. Anyways, wearing the same clothes more than once is not Lili's motto in life. We joined this international competition back then, and she totally refused to wear this pants and jackets that are still so clean to be worn for a second time, so it was really weird to see her trying on her clothes for two to three times."

"What happened then?"

"Well, I figured she wouldn't tell me the truth, since she's a hard head, like I told you. So, I secretly looked at her cabinet and saw that all her clothes were just stuffed there, unwashed for god knows how long."

"You started to wash her clothes from then on?"

"Actually I offered it, but she told me she could do it on her own. So I let her."

"But why are you still washing her clothes now?"

"Did you get your curiousness by spending so much time with Xiaoyou? Because, if you did, I should start getting worried of Lili and her being close."

Jin wondered about the question himself. "I'm not sure; I think I'm just a secretly curious person myself."

"Whatever you say, anyhow, the reason why I'm washing Lili's clothes is because she almost set the washing machine on fire last time, and she didn't separate the white clothes from the colored ones."

Jin looked entertained, a small smile creeped in his mouth.

"Its fine, you can laugh, I know it myself that it's funny."

"I don't find it funny, it's more like…happy. You two really seem like a happy couple."

"Yeah, really happy, I don't care if I have to cook for her, wash her clothes for her, give her anything and do everything she wants. I'm more than happy to be able to do it, even for my whole life."

"She's lucky to have you then."

"I'm lucky she became mine." Asuka's attention is caught by the timer beep; she takes out the third batch of the clothes and places it in the dryer basket.

Jin bends down at the nearest mountain of clothes to him. He is on his way to getting the clothes on his arms, when Asuka waved her hands for him to stop.

"Hey, hey, hey, no one touches her clothes but me."

"You are very possessive" Jin looks up at Asuka.

"I don't care, just go back to the kitchen and help Xiayou or play with Hwaorang. I'm fine with doing this by myself."

Jin slowly stands straight. "Ok then. Good luck." He then walks away from the laundry room.

Upstairs away from everyone, Lili was dusting off her girlfriend's bedroom, using a little green duster she was humming a sweet tone while enjoying her work. Since it was laundry day and all her clothes were taken by Asuka to be washed, Lili was wearing a pair of clothes that Asuka had lended her. She had light blue mini shorts on, with a pink sleeveless t – shirt on top. Her hair was tied on a ponytail and her bra white straps were visible at the top of her shoulder.

Asuka went up to her room, carrying her and Lili's laundry basket in one hand. She saw her girlfriend consumed to only cleaning the window panes in her bedroom. Asuka walked forward and left Lili's laundry basket at the blonde's bedroom. When she came back to her own bedroom, Asuka locked the door behind her. Lili was still in her humming world, oblivious to the fact that Asuka was walking slowly behind her. Lili was standing on bended knees on Asuka's bed; the green duster fell to the bed after she was taken by surprise at Asuka's sudden embrace to her at the waist, from her back.

"You're putting too much attention on that window" Asuka whispered to Lili's ears, her lips were purposely close enough to kiss the soft, little ears of her girlfriend.

Lili smiled wide as she turned her body to face Asuka. She raised her arms to place on top of Asuka's shoulders and made her right hand play with the ebony's short, messy hair. "Getting jealous of an inanimate object, Asuka?"

The ebony head laughed and tipped her index finger on Lili's nose. "Then I would hope to find you jealous of the washing machine"

"Oh, I have long been. They never work for me, yet they love you so much."

"Well, I won't love them back if they don't love you"

Lili chuckled as she squeezed on Asuka's hair. "Are you done with the laundry, crazy head?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then we can do this now" Lili rapidly took Asuka for a kiss, a fast, upbeating kiss that made the ebony fall to her back on the bed.

"My clothes look better on you. You're look sexy" Asuka commented to Lili, sliding her hands under the blonde's visible bra straps that were immensely seducing her.

"You're always _very_ sexy to me" Lili answered, and kissed her again. They kissed for repeated times, until they were called down to eat for lunch.

"I'm going with Jin to the mall; he said he wanted to buy some clothes there." Xiayou shared to the group while the others chewed on their plates.

"Why don't we all go to the mall then? Just to get some alliance bonding time." Lili suggested to Asuka at her left, and Hwoarang at the end seat.

"Sure, we haven't gone to the mall since Hwoarang first came here." Asuka answered.

"Yeah, I'll come. It's boring to play games alone."

"Oh, this sounds like an exciting day!" Xiayou's voice leaped happily.

"And it'll be better, if even just for today, all of us will act like a normal teenager." Lili emphasized her sentence with open palms in the air.

"What does it count to be normal?" Jin asked the blonde.

"Well, for starters, we won't wear our fighting attires; we'll be in full civilian clothes today. Next is, no one is allowed to fight, whether with other people or to either one of us, and lastly please none of you should get easily hot headed and punch or kick someone."

"What kind of normal basis is that? Delinquents always do that and they're still treated as normal" Hwaorang complained, pointing a fork at Lili.

"Well, they're not the average normal. Delinquents are viewed as trouble makers."

"Lili's right, we need some break from being this freaking teenage figthers. Let's act for once that we're just like any other teenager." Asuka supported the blonde's idea.

"Oh, I take the sweet type of clothing!" Xiayou raised her hand on the table.

"I'll have the bad boy type" Hwoarang raise his hand too.

"I'll be the quiete type" Jin said, without raising his hand but smiling lightly.

Asuka and Lili had left the table by then, letting the three enjoy theirselves with the excitement of todays mall outing.

Lili sat at Asuka's bed, looking up at the ceiling. "Hey, Asuka, what do you think is better for me? The sexy type or the smart type?"

Asuka was looking at the clothes in her cabinet. "Well, I have something here that can fit the sexy type but I don't have anything that fits the smart type." Lili also looked at Asuka's cabinet, placing her head above the ebony's shoulder and hugging Asuka in the neck from her back.

They both scanned the cabinet. "Oh, is that a school vest?" Lili pointed her finger at a yellow vest tha had a kind of logo in it.

"Yeah…." Asuka answered, pulling the vest out of the cabinet. "I didn't realize I was able to bring my high school uniform." Lili smiled and took the vest from Asuka.

"This is perfect Asuka; I'll wear your uniform and put on some glasses, and ta-da! The perfect costume for the smart type" Asuka giggled, shaking her head in amusement.

"What are you going to wear Asuka?" The ebony head made another scan at her clothes, and something immediately caught her attention. She pulled on a pair of white shorts and a blue t-shirt, which had the same logo as that in the vest. "I'll wear my PE uniform, so that people on the mall will think that we're students from the same school who are happily enjoying their high school romance."

"That's another perfect thing Asuka, the PE uniform also says that you're the sporty type, which is true."

"Yes, yes, enough with the types lets get change." Asuka closed her cabinet, she was about to lock her bedroom door again when Lili stopped her.

"I'll be changing at my room." She said as she hurried away while carrying the set of Asuka's uniform.

"What? Why?" Asuka catched her wrist.

"So that I can surprise you later." Lili leaned her head to kiss Asuka in the cheeks. "Make me fall for you, once more, Asuka Kazama."As the door next to her bedroom locked, Asuka was still left outside the corridor, blushing and wondering what the hell was her girlfriend up to now.

"Hey, Jin, do you think this white sleeve goes better with the skirt or this pink one?" Xiayou was circling herself in front of Jin, showing him the white long sleeve and black polka dotted skirt she was wearing. Jin couldn't help but find both of Xiayou's choices to be fit for her.

"I think either will do." He said, and then he examined the two sleeves again. "But the white one fits your skirt better."

"It does?" Xiayou asked with a blush on her face.

"How long does it take a couple to get dress?" Hwoarang complained once again. He was sporting the bad boy style, wearing a black leather jacket above a black t-shirt, partnered with dark gray jeans and sunglasses on his face.

"I'll call them." Xiayou made her way upstairs, also in need of putting her pink sleeve back to her bedroom. Before going down again, she knocked on Asuka's bedroom.

"Hey, you two, hurry up, we're leaving now." She announced and left the the third floor.

Asuka came out of the door seconds later, wearing her PE uniform that looked more like a basket ball uniform. She wore black colored knee and elbow protectors and white running shoes. Asuka knocked on Lili's bedroom door, and received a reply to wait for another second. The ebony walked her way to the wall facing Lili's bedroom and leaned her back there. A rusty squiking sound comes along when the bedroom door swings to open.

Lili comes out in a slow walk, fixing her blue plaid skirt to lengthen down to her knees. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail with straight bangs across her face, emphasizing the black rimmed glasses she was wearing. Asuka looked at her, flabbergasted. The blonde girl noticed the awe in her girlfriends face, made more visible by the rosy hues in the ebony's cheek. Lili smiled softly, reaching for Asuka's body and hugging her tightly in the chest.

"Asuka – senpai!" she yelled with a cute, schoolgirl voice.

"Eh?" Asuka's moment of beauty shattered into pieces, her eyebrows bented down in confusion.

Lili enjoyed herself, with burying her face on Asuka's t – shirt. She laughed as she talked while tightening her embrace on Asuka. "My Asuka looks so cool; I can't stop the butterflies in my stomach"

"Asuka! Lili! Let's go" The two girls cuddling together heard Xiayou's voice calling from the second floor.

"We'll be right there!" Asuka replied in a jiff, wanting so bad not to cut this moment with Lili. "If you ever attended my school, looking like this….." Asuka started, touching Lili's face.

"You would what?" Lili asked her.

"I wouldn't be single for so long." Asuka brushed the slices of hair that were sliding down at the side of LIli's face. She leaned upward to kiss the girl. Their silhouttes stood in front of the stark sunlights coming from the end window.

Later on as they finally got down to the others, the three were surpised to see the two girls in school uniforms.

"Hey, that's unfair! I wanted to do the schoolgirl type but I didn't have any uniforms with me." Xiayou exclaimed.

"Hmmm, let me guess, the two of you are the king and queen of Homecoming?" Hwoarang laughed out.

"We're actually the secretly dating, school president and captain of the whatever sports team" Lili corrected the auburn head.

Jin was standing next to Xiayou watching the others having fun in their dress ups. He looked at his suit and found himself bored of it, so he lifted his voice and intervened with his friend's conversation. "Let's go already" It was thanks to his intervention that they were finally able to get out of the dojo.

Down at the bus waiting, a bus stops in front of the Alliance. Hwoarang comes up first, alerting the people in the bus with his gangster looking style. Jin came up second, getting people's attention by his formal suit but people started to look at him more when Xiayou came up and looped her hand around Jin. The two of them sat together in front of Hwoarang's seat. When Lili came up the bus, a couple of boys in formal high school uniforms couldn't take their eyes off her. She walked up as daintly as she could and smiled like the shy, smart girl she was acting to be. As soon as she noticed the boy's looking at her, Lili walked closer to them. The high school girls, who were with the boys, were also getting excited. It was rare to see beautiful foreign students in japan. The bus moved and Lili mimicked an action of slightly falling down, the high school boys all try to catch her but she had already stopped falling by then. The boys look up and see Asuka, holding Lili by the waist.

"I'll take her from here, kids." Asuka told the high schoolers, dragging Lili to the seat behind Hwoarang. The two of them laughed together, and through the sight of the high schoolers, they could see the two holding hands.

"Two…oneechans, together?" one of the high school girls said in a disbelieving tone.

"Two, beautiful oneechans!" the boys exclaimed together. Asuka and Lili had succeeded in fooling them that they're also high schoolers.

The closest mall to the dojo was only a few minutes by bus. As soon as the Alliance got there, they went directly to the department store.

Xiayou found it weird that Jin was actually getting clothes that Hwoarang was recommending to him. "Jin, are you sure you wear this kind of clothes?" Xiayou raised two trousers that had a lot of slashes on them.

Jin stared at the trousers, and then he looked at Xiayou. "I've been wearing nothing but boring suits, I want to try dressing up too….especially that all of you just look cool right now."

Xiayou put the trousers down at a jacket aisle next to her. "Ok, I get it, but Jin, you don't have to wear those slashed pants to look cool, besides they're not you're style."

"Do I have a style?"Jin asked the Chinese.

"You like leather" Asuka and Lili said together, standing at the next aisle to them.

"How can you say so?" Jin asked the two girls.

"You're always wearing black leather jackets in TV or when we see you in tekken." Asuka answered, letting Lili continue to scan the clothes in the rack.

"That's only because Mishima Zaibatsu has its own leather factory."

"Really?" Hwoarang suddenly came out from the aisle behind Jin and Xiayou. "You should share some to me, I like leather."

"Sure, why not" Jin nodded his head.

"Well, even if you like it or not, black, simple clothes are your best style Jin." Xiayou returned to the topic. She took a sprint to the nearest rack with black pants and handed them to Jin. "These will fit you better."

"Thanks, Xiao" Xiayou smiled at Jin.

"Go, and check your size first, then we'll look for some shirts" Xiayou pushed Jin to the changing rooms and waited with the others outside. More than an hour was spent going around the department store to help Jin shop for his clothes. When Jin was finally done, the alliance decided to watch the cinema, but the next viewing was still in an hour so they went to the food court first.

Getting a big table for their whole group, Asuka and Lili were sharing a shake, Hwoarang was eating a burrito, Xiayou had a large scoop of ice cream while Jin was only drinking a soda.

The people around them were sitting far away, and the kids kept staring at them.

"I think it's because of my suit, I should change my clothes now." Jin said, taking out a pair of his new bought pants and shirt. When Jin left the table, the atmosphere didn't change at all.

"I guess, we just really stand out." Hwoarang threw his burrito wrap in the distant trash can, not trying twice to shoot it, making another bunch of attention focus on them.

"Hwoarang, you're making us look weirder" Xiayou warned the guy, piercing her fork looking spoon to a strawberry in her ice cream.

"Cool down guys, just don't start a fight and everyone won't have a doubt that we're…normal" Asuka stopped the building catfight between Hwoarang and Xiayou.

"I guess, that won't be happening." Hwaoarng said while looking straight ahead.

"Oh, oh" Xiayou muttered when she looked behind her. Quickly all four of them ran away from the table.

Jin went flying to the plastic tables, upsetting the stands and wrecking the whole table. Xiayou, Asuka and Lili helped him stand up while Hwoarang stood in front of Jin.

"You're messing with the wrong group" He warned the bunch of guys in ripped clothes and baggy jackets that were walking towards the Alliance.

"What do they want from us?" Xiayou asked Jin, who has fairly stand up now.

"Trouble" he answered while letting go of the support that the three girls were giving him. He walked next to Hwoarang and lifted his fists.

The people in the food court had run out now and only the six bandits and the alliance were left in the area. The three girls sighed in dismay as they took their positions next to the guys.

Lili took off her glasses and removed her ponytail, letting her hair fall down; she reached for her socks and extended them upward, reaching to the ends of her plaid skirt. Asuka stood next to her, taking out her fighting gloves and putting them on. Xiayou lifted her skirt and pulled down the black leggings she's folded underneath. Hwoarang on the middle threw his shades away and placed his big, orange one's on top of his forehead. He also removed his leather jacket and tied it to his waist.

Lili looked at her teammates. "Looks like we were all ready to fight, even if we agreed to not do it."  
Hwoarang laughed, while tilting his head a bit. "Well, we can try to escape fighting but fighting will always chase us."

"We'll show these guys who they're messing with." Asuka tantalizes while cracking her knuckles.

"This won't even take us a minute" Xiayou added.

"And we'll still be able to watch that movie" Jin ended the phrase, and strated the first blow of the fight. He punched the face of two guys in one heavy blast, making the two guys fall to the floor with their mouths bleeding.

Xiayou jumped at the guy she was facing and climbed on top of his neck, she twisted the guys head until a loud crack could be heard. The Chinese didn't even need to come down from the guy since he fell asleep on the floor in a matter of seconds. Hwoarang took his opponent by the stomach, carried him up then punching his ribcage with his elbow before throwing him to the floor, body shuddering in pain.

"But, why did they throw you just now, Jin?" Lili asked while stepping on the arm of her opponent, cracking his bones and leaving him limp like that.

"Yeah, you just went flying to the table, how were they even able to do that?" Asuka uppercutted her opponent, strong enough to make the guy fall asleep with his two of his teeth missing in the front.

"These guys were after someone in front of the toilets, when I got out of the door, the person they were chasing suddenly punched me in the stomach."

"Did you see who it was?" Xiayou asked him.

"No, it was too fast" Jin looked back at the toilets area, he squinted his eyes to get a better view out of the foggy area that resulted from the dust that their fighting had created. "But I think, he's still asleep in the floor, I was able to punch him back before flying away." Jin made his way to the sleeping figure leaning at the toilet door.

His eyes now recognized the guy. The other four went next to him and realized who the mistery strong puncher is.

"It's Steve." They said together, surprised to see another tekken fighter.

Looking at the blonde boxer, everyone wondered if this meant a new ally or a new enemy?


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Nice to be back after a long time. School vacations is just a week away, which means-faster updates! (Thank God :D) Have a happy reading everyone!  
**

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Hey, I'm sorry that this is another "not so fast update" but yeah, there's good news above :D

**Mogkupo: **Sorry for taking long, and thanks always for the support :D

** 98: **I'm glad to have you captivated in the story :D let's have more AsuLili love going ~

**romak1997: **Here's the new chapter! Go, AsuLili :D

**DaMastah101: **An overload of flattery for your praises :D thanks for spending a lot of time to read the story :D and I'm happy that I was able to make it work out, have fun reading the new chapter :D.**  
**

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**27) There are new Allies**

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It was a very dark place.

There was someone talking from a source that can't be seen and there were voices whispering that belonged to different people.

Steve was slowly waking to, though his eyes have opened, his sight remained blank. His body immediately felt terror, but his hands nor feet couldn't move. The voices around him continued to echo in low sounds. He then tried to speak, but he realized that his mouth was barricaded with some kind of cloth. The boxer's terror flamed stronger, he wiggled his body to the wood chair he was sitting on, until he slided down the chair, and hit the floor on a loud crash.

Steve felt many hands help him back to the chair. When his butt could feel the warm wodd texture again, light appeared from his eyesight. The covers on his eyes were cut in two at the ridge of his nose, and there he saw the people who have taken him.

They were all silent for a moment, Steve, recognized them. His eyes scanned each of the five people that were also looking at him. But something made him jump to consciousness.

"Jin Kazama?" He shouted out in surprise, as everyone wondered why he did so.

"Yes, It's me" The black haired boy answered, standing at the farthest, behind Hwoarang, Xiayou, Asuka and Lili.

"Why are you here? Why are they here?" Steve jumped to a frantic questioning mood.  
"Did you kidnap them? Am I your new recruit? Are we your new slaves?" Then he continued to talk like crazy.

Hwoarang slapped Steve with the cloth that fell from the blonde boxer's mouth when he was talking. "Get a hold of yourself man, you're talking nonsense"

Steve's eyes opened wider, he looked back at Jin, ignoring what Hwoarang did, and said to him. Jin saw the confusion and a slight fear in the guy's eyes.

"No, I was actually the one who was kidnapped." He tried to lighten the mood with Steve.

"You were? Do they torture you? If, yes, am I here to also torture you?"

"What is your problem with Jin?" Xiayou pushed Hwoarang who was blocking her from fully being in front of the gone wild boxer.

"No..thing" Steve saved himself from the girl's rage.

Lili used this temporary peace to catch the boxer's attention. "Can we ask the questions now?"

Steve shifted his sight to Lili, his face looked confused. "Can you tell me your name first?"

Lili looked even more confused. "Why? You don't know who I am?"

Steve nodded, again. "I remember you, but I can't recall your name…"

"Oh, not again! Why doesn't anyone ever remember my name?" Lili exclaimed, raising both her arms up in the air. The other members of the Alliance tried hard to hide their laughs.

"It's Lili. Ok? For the nth time people, it's just a short four letter name!"

"Lili, calm down" Asuka placed her hand on the blonde's shoulder. She spoke in a choked up voice because of her laughter was still stuck in her throat.

Lili's body lessened its tension, and by the time that Asuka and the others have overcome their laughs, Lili still wasn't aware that they even laughed.

But Lili wasn't the only naïve one; Steve is also very unaware that the others were trying to stop laughing. When he noticed that Lili's expression changed from vexed to calmed, he again started to ask questions.

"So, uhm…why am I here?"

The Alliance raised their shoulders at him.

"We don't know about you, I mean, we just finished off the people who were chasing you in the mall." Xiayou explained.

"Guys who were chasing me?..."

"The one's that looked like a pack of hippie gangsters" Hwoarang was doing some imitations of the image in the air.

"Oh, those guys! They were people who were asking me to pay my debts" Steve laughed maniacaly.

The alliance looked at each other, and amidts the blonde boxers laughing, he was suddenly stopped when Hwoarang slap him hard at the back of his neck.

"You doofus, I can't believe that we actually saved the wrong guy"

"Well, it's not entirely wro-

Hwoarang slaps his neck harder. "How can it not be wrong? You have tons of money from doing boxing and you can't even pay a debt?" Steve was about to speak but Hwoarang slapped his neck again.

At the third time, Steve yelled at the auburn head. "Will you stop hitting me? It isn't entirely wrong because I already paid my debt, and they were forcing me to pay again!"

"Geez, you could've said that earlier, that way, you didn't have to be hit in the neck so many times."Hwoarang clapped his hands together. Steve only looked annoyed at him.

"So, what are you guys? Some kind of secret group?"

"No, we're an Alliance" Jin answered the boxer.

"An Alliance of what?"

Jin's eyes crossed the room, making eye contact with everyone there. Steve noticed this. "Ok, so, I guess theres a password to knowing what your alliance is…"

"Actually, it's not a password, but more of a membership" Lili intervened. The other members of the alliance had all their eyes on Steve. "If you want to know what the Alliance is, you have to be a part of it. Promise to participate in it. And never share it to anyone, who is not a part of it."

Steve swallowed deep, "What is it in me to join this Alliance?"

"That's an easy question" Lili said with a sarcastic voice. She smiled or rather smirked at Steve before stomping down her hands on the handrests of the chair. Her whole aura turned muddy, and she honestly looked scary. "If you're not with us…you're against us—and since you're all tied up in this place you don't know where, I expect you to be afraid of what we do to our enemies."

Jin, Xiayou and Hwoarang were slow in realizing the sly lie that Lili was telling the boxer. Asuka kind of too, but she realized it was a joke when Lili's eyes met hers. Asuka smiled and approached Steve from the back; she placed her hands on the guy's shoulders and squeezed them lightly.

"You'll disappear quietly, without anyone ever finding your body"Asuka said while tightening her squeeze on Steve's shoulders.

"There's no way, he'll believe that" Hwoarang sneered with crossed arms.

"I don't think so…" Xiayou was examining Steve's reaction; she pulled on Jin's jacket and made him look too.

"He's trembling" The two said together. Hwoarang couldn't belive what he heard, but his doubts are cleared when he saw how the mighty boxer was pathetically falling for Lili and Asuka's joke.

"What a dumbhead" Hwoarang could only say.

***~*~*~* BY MIDNIGHT *~*~*~***

"So, when did the Alliance converted into a fraternity?" Xiayou asked the two girls walking before her. The whole Dojo was out of lights except for the room where Steve was. The four members of the alliance were wearing long, black cloaks except for Lili who was in a priest like violet and Lili were each carrying a huge black candle while Xiayou had a long wooden stick.

"Oh, come on, Xiayou, he ruined our movie night" Lili answered the Chinese.

"Yeah, and because we weren't able to watch _the cursed fraternity_, we'll just have to improvise our own movie here, with us as the main actors" Asuka added.

When the three girls arrived at the room, Hwoarang and Jin were holding Steve in the biceps, facing front a randomly made altar. The altar is actually pillows stacked above each other, covered in black cloak and sprinkled with dead rose petals. There were two big candles inside empty cans of powdered milk.

Asuka, Lili and Xiayou covered their mouths to control the laughter that wanted to burst in them. The prank has gone so overboard that it really looks like they were some kind of cult that would devour the life of their new prey if he didn't compel to affiliation. Asuka and Lili placed their candles at the same cans of the two lighted candles in the room. Xiayou stood in front of Jin; she raised the long wood stick in the air, directly above Steve's head.

The boxer's eyes widened, and even if he tried to hide it, Hwoarang and Jin could feel the tremble of his body in fear. Though it was a really bad joke they were doing to him, they couldn't help but enjoy every scared reaction that Steve shows.

Asuka passes a makeshift, thick and old looking book to Lili. The mischievous starter of this joke acted like the best actress, inventing some Latin sounding words while pointing her finger to the contents of the fake book; which were actually doodles, and not words.

"And so, for the life that you could still live longer, Steve Fox, do you accept to be a part of the Alliance?" Lili asked with a strict, serious voice.

"Yes! I wish to be a part of the alliance!" The scared boxer said at once. Hwoarang, Xiayou and Jin giggled within theirselves.

"And do you promise to never leave unless, we finish our mission?" Asuka continued.

"I promise! I won't leave."

"If that is the case, then, Steve Fox, welcome to the Alliance" Lili proclaimed, closing the makeshift book.

Xiayou was ready to hit the wooden stick on Steve's head, but he suddenly yelled out.

"Hey, hey, wait, I already joined! What's that stick for?"

Xiayou stopped the stick from hitting on Steve's head, the boxer looked relieved, but afte a while, he fell asleep. Xiayou looked at Jin and Hwoarang. The auburn head raised his one hand.

"It was me….I hit him in the neck again." Hwoarang admitted.

"Well, we were just going to joke him….but that can do too." Asuka expressed. "Ok, so let's clean things up and go to sleep ourselves."

For half an hour, the whole dojo was lighted up, and then it was all black again, but this time, everyone was in their bed.

***~*~*~* THE NEXT DAY *~*~*~***

Lili was sitting on her bed; she could hear the sounds of someone cooking at the kitchen downstairs. Her hands were busy fixing her hair but her voice was already doing its job in waking her bed buddy up.

"Asuka, someone's taking over your job"

The ebony head shifted her face to Lili. "What do you mean?"

"Someone's already cooking breakfast….." Lili looked at how Asuka's eyes were still closing. "Just stay asleep there, I'll come back." Lili went down the bed. She wore her slippers on before giving Asuka a kiss in the cheeks. She fixed the blanket over her girlfriend and closed the door as she went downstairs.

At the end of the stairs, Lili saw Xiayou and Jin, peeking from the wall.

"Good Morning, Lili" Xiayou greeted her friend.

"Hey, Good morning Xiao, is Hwoarang cooking?"

"Actually no, you see, that's why Jin and I are hiding. Steve is the one cooking."

"He is?" Lili said in disbelief. "I think we really scared him yesterday, he must think he's our slave now or something." The two of them laughed. Jin heard them, and even Steve.

The blonde boxer dropped the spatula he was holding. He was about to get it from the floor, when Jin appeared and told him that it was ok.

"I'm really sorry; I didn't mean to drop it."

"Chill down Steve, it's really ok" Xiayou reassured him, taking the spatula herself.

"A…h…" Steve was becoming speechless. Lili noticed this, and felt guiltier about tricking the guy, she shaked her head for a second before announcing it as simply as she could.

"Steve, I know this sounds harsh, but all of the things that we did to you yesterday were only a joke." Xiayou and Jin nodded as a sign of support.

"There is no such thing as an alliance?"

"No. The Alliance is true, but we're not some cult fraternity, and the membership ritual last night was only a prank."

"Then why did you guys knock me to sleep last night?"

"That was me" Hwoarang came to the kitchen, looking all sleepy. "It was just so you wouldn't hear us laugh our hearts out."

"Then that means, everything was really just a play….." Steve said, trying to put it in his mind.

Lili grimaced at him. "Well, yeah, but your pledge to join and to never leave is still valid."

Steve looked mad for a minute, but he's mouth soon curved to a cocky simle. "Well then, I take my word. I don't mind joining you guys, especially after that prank you did on me…..I have to get even somehow."

"Well, you're never going to get even with me around" Hwoarang said to him, taking over the duty of cooking.

Asuka was up herself she appeared at the end of the stairs and saw the others seated at the dining table. Asuka took the vacant seat beside Lili; she looked around and saw Steve and Hwoarang fighting over the stove.

Lili was giggling while she nestled herself closer to Asuka. "We already told Steve"

"Eh?" Asuka said in a disappointed tone. "I wanted to do it, you should've woke me up Lil' now I wasn't even able to see it."

"I woke you up, but you quickly went to sleep again."

Asuka scratched her head. "Well, how did it go?"

"No hard feelings, he's still with us."

"That's great" Asuka nodded.

The Alliance, now a six man team, eats their first breakfast together. The bedrooms and the dining table are now all occupied.

By the end of their peaceful breakfast, Lili looked at the watch, as well as everyone. The hands of the clock travel moderately, and upon the strike of 10 am, a bell sound fills out the house.

Lili clapped her hands in the air, signaling Hwoarang and Jin to set up the gadget in place. She stands in front of the laptop and turns on all signal and data records.

"Ok, people, vacations over, we're back to work. Jin…." Lili searched for Jin in the room. The boy heard her call and went next to her.

"The train failed." She said in a dishappy tone. "What's our plan now?"

Steve was ogling at the set ups inside the dojo now. Bundles and bundles of black wires are scattered at the floor. Antenna signals stretched out from the windows and computers, tablets in different sizes were running at the same time.

Hwoarang was still setting up some antennas at the roof top while Xiayou took control of the computers. Lili and Jin were planning, but where was Asuka?

Lili noticed the low presence of her girlfriend around. "Where's Asuka?" she asked. No one there knew where the ebony was, which made Lili look for her.

Lili went upstairs and saw her and Asuka's bedroom was empty. She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she just went outside." She convinced herself. Lili was on her way out of her bedroom when she felt something out of place. Her intuition tells her that something is wrong with her bedroom. She stays longer to realize what it was, and then it struck her. She opened her cabinet and her favorite white dress was nowhere to be seen.

Nervousness hit the highest degree inside of Lili; she was half-crawling and half-running downstairs. The others were alarmed why she was hurrying up, they tried to ask her but she didn't answer them, she continued to run and she reached the laundry room just in time. Asuka was about to drop her dress to the twirling mix of water and bubbly soap. Lili catched it, but not very in time, half of the dress had been soaked now.

"Asuka, I told you not to wash this" she was squeezing the water out of the soaked area and damping it with a towel.

Asuka turned the washing machine off, making the noisy sound inside the room to stop.  
"Seriously, Lili, how did you even know what I was up to?"

"You were nowhere to be found so I checked upstairs and realized my favorite dress was missing." Lili had successfully dried the soaked part of the dress. She folded the dress in two and held it between her arm and waist. Lili was leaving the room without a word, which made Asuka know that she was mad. Asuka wanted to tell her sorry, but she knows that Lili won't listen to her at this time. It was better to give her some space first.

"What was that about?" Jin asked Lili as she went back to him, carrying her dress.

"It was nothing, just a minor fight."

"Don't you want to talk with her?" Lili shaked her head.

"Maybe later." She said in a cold voice. Jin didn't stay on the topic anymore; he went back to his business of natching up a new plan for the Alliance.

Steve was hovering close to the two master planners, and decided to give some ideas of his own. "Why don't we team up with others who are, you know, at our side?"

Lili saw the possibility in Steve's idea. "I've thought of that, but, who exactly is on our side?"

"Lars" Jin suggested unconsciously.

"Lars?" Lili asked, not knowing who he was talking about.

"Lars Alexanderrson, he's my uncle, he's been chasing me before. He's on a mission to stop any bad deed of the Mishima's extending to me."

"Speaking about your uncle, Lee is also against the Mishima's" Steve added.

"What a rebellious family" Hwoarang laughed as he went closer to the conversation.

"So, how do we get to them?" Lili asked the two guys.

Jin and Steve looked at each other, Steve quickly thought of the answer. "I know where to find Lee; I'll be the one to convince him."

"I don't know where to find Lars" Jin admitted. "But I can have Nina search him."

Lili gave him a discomfortable look. "Can we trust her?"

Jin was about to answer her, but Xiayou intervened quickly. "No need Lili, I messaged Alisa, she said they're hiding at a secret hideout at the middle of the Pacific Ocean."

"Can she tell you the exact coordinates?"

Xiayou typed on one of the laptops and raised her a thumbs up. "She just sent it, and she asked if we wanted some tea when we get there."

"Tell her to brew it now because we're on our way" Lili closed the laptop in front of her.

Jin and the others stood up and followed her to the stairs. They went their ways in packing up the things they need. A trip to the pacific meant a boat, and a seemingly never ending horizon of the sea.

Asuka watched Lili leave her white dress at the cabinet before getting a bag from the bottom of her bed. Lili felt bothered by Asuka watching her and asked the girl to wait with the others outside. Asuka said "Ok" and left with a sad face. Lili breathed deeply after Asuka left.

Hours later, the weather at the pacific was badly untiming. The nonstop rain was big in drops, and strong with winds. All of the alliance, except for Steve, was at a yacht sized boat. It was made of sheer metal; making it weather bearing, but it was too light and small, so the big waves easily filled it with water in every wave splash.

Everyone was wearing thick jackets with transparent raincoats above. Amidst the exhausted swing of the boat from left to right, Jin and Xiayou continued to work at the control panel at the second level. But what Asuka and Hwoarang were doing is a lot more perilous.

Signals are starting to die because of the bad weather conditions, the antennas for the GPS coordinates can't stand on their own now, so the two members of the alliance volunteered to do the job of being antenna stands.

Lili watched the two of them, holding an umbrella. She stands idly, not doing anything but to watch the other two. A big wave hits the boat, almost turning it around; Hwoarang lost his balance and slipped on the floor. Lili was also down on her feet when another big wave splashed her. She coughs out the salty sea water, and tries to stand up again. Hwoarang helped her, and then she realized that Asuka was gone.

"Where did she..…" Lili suddenly muttered while running towards the end of the deck. She sees no one around and that makes her start panicking. She was about to run until the dead end of the deck when the wooden floor below her suddenly opened. She heard herself fall on cold dampy metals. It was all black until a flashlight is lit in front of her.

"Lili" Asuka said, carrying the flashlight between her and the blonde.

"Asuka, you crazy head, when did you get here?"

"That's not important." Asuka "I want to say sorry about what I did earlier. I admit my mistake, and I would do anything for you to forgive me, Lil"

Lili shaked her head left to right, she flinched the cold water that surrounded them inside the tight vent shaft. The water flew to Asuka's face, making her surprised. "Baka" Lili said with her lips pouted. "You had me worried that you were splashed by the waves somewhere"

"Yes, I'm sorry about that too, but back to the topic, what do you want me to do?"

Lili fixed her position in the narrow vent, she went closer to Asuka, and squeezed the girl's cheeks. "I want you to calm down Asuka, I'm not mad at you…well, not anymore."

"I won't do it again, I promise" Asuka said in stretched cheeks, putting her right hand up.

Lili smiled. "Forget about that, are you alright?"

"Yeah, now, I'm alright" the two of them laugh.

"Shall we go back to the top then?" Lili asked the ebony.

"In a minute" Asuka answered before jumping on Lili. The blonde fell to the cold waters, half her body submerged. Asuka stayed on top of Lili, lifting her right hand to shower the flashlight down on them.

It was quick, haphazard and sudden, when Asuka raised Lili's head by the hold of her left hand on the blonde's neck. Asuka's kiss was hard; it was pushed by the force of their tight positions in the small vent space. The waters inside with them waved all over their bodies. The plastic raincoats they were wearing were falling apart. Lili had placed her arms around Asuka's neck by now; not caring about the shivering feels of the icy waters.

After a whole minute or more, Asuka turned the flashlight off, and nothing at all could be seen inside the tight vent. Lili could only decipher Asuka's position from the sound of ripples going around her. Thw wood lead winched loudly as Asuka pushed it up. The covers open wide, letting more water inside the vent. The ebony helped the blonde stand up and climb the height of the vent. By the time that they reached the top of the deck, they were awed by the sight of their boat, slowly looming towards a humongous cave with tall rock made gates. Jin and Xiayou appeared at the deck by now, they watched as the two door gate open at the start of the cave. Lili and Asuka were dripping wet when they joined the other three. Hwoarang was also wet, but he had a jacket on, as well as Asuka.

"You can use my jacket" Asuka offered to Lili after noticing that Lili had nothing on but her dress and transparent raincoat.

"No thanks Asuka, you need that more than me."

"Come on, you might catch a cold" Asuka was sliding her zippers down.

"Asuka, I'm fine. I'm wearing a whole dress here while you only have a jumpsuit under."

Asuka had slided her zipper down and opened her jacket. "Ok, we can just share then" The ebony stretched her arms out and embraced Lili with the jacket both enveloping them.

"Trust me; I don't get the colds so easily" Lili assured the girl, while not trying to stop Asuka from embracing her.

When the gates open, an enclosed area of water appeared. At the very center end of this water body, a disk shaped building stands on two long legs. The alliance parks their boat at the water shore closest to the stairs. No one is there to escort them where to go, but voice commands on the central speakers help them reach the third floor. The third floor was occupied by the database controls and the office of Lars. The spiked headed guy turned his revolving chair after the speakers announced the alliance to come in.

When the alliance went inside, they were greeted by the android friend of Lars.

"Good day to everyone, your tea is here." Alisa, wearing a white apron above her purple fighting dress held a large tray that contained tea for everyone.

"Thank you" The alliance said while taking each of their teas.

The others looked at Lars who was looking at them at the same time. Lars was still seating on his chair, inside a separate room that had glass doors.

"So, when will he talk to us?" Jin asked the android.

"He said that he doesn't trust you" Alisa said directly.

"What? We haven't even proposed anything to him." All the alliance said together.

"He doesn't want to hear about it if it comes from Jin Kazama" Alisa said directly.

"So, if someone other than Jin talks to him, he might put his trust on us?"

"He will" Alisa said. "He said that he wants to talk with all of you inside his office, Jin will be left out here."

The others give each other a look before everyone nodded. They walked to the door of Lars office. He pushes on a remote he is holding, and the door opens automatically.

"So, who's the leader here?" Lars asks.

Lili steps forward from the others. "I'm-

"Emilie De Rochefort" Lars said before Lili could introduce herself. Everyone, most importantly Lili, was surprised.

"What?" Las felt uncomfortable with everyone's awed faces.

"You know my name?" Lili said with a happy voice.

"I made Alisa search about all your members; I agreed to meet all of you for one reason."

"And I thought someone finally remembers my name" Lili said in a disappointed voice.

"What is that reason?" Xiayou asked the blonde guy.

"I believe that an alliance with members like yours is the most qualified for the missions I've been meaning to accomplish."

"We can't do any missions if Jin isn't joining; he's part of the alliance." Hwoarang outlashed.

Lars nodded his head. "If he ever betrays the mission, I will put the blame for all of you who trusted him."

"Don't worry; we are sure that he..he…ha..-hachoo!" Lili coughed continuously, placing her hand over her mouth.

"Lili, are you ok?" Asuka asked, while rubbing the back of her girlfriend.

"Yeah, I'm fine; I'm fine" Lili cleared her throat and looked back at Lars."Like I was saying, Jin is with us-hachoo!" Lili coughed again, this time, a little longer.

Later on, Jin was allowed to speak with Lars now, along with Hwoarang and Xiayou. Outside Lars office, Lili sat at a metal chair, with Asuka standing beside her. Alisa's one hand was resting on top of Lili' android's eyes changes color from green to red.

"Her temperature is currently 39.3 degrees Celsius; it will rise higher by 2 degrees every hour from now if not treated with medicine." Alisa announced in a strict robotic voice.

Lili sneezed out again, while Asuka rubbed her back.

"See, I told you, you shoud've taken my jacket." The ebony reprimanded the hard headed blonde.


	28. Chapter 28

****romak1997:**** Thanks :D, I hope this one will be a great chapter too :) (That random cold is what you'll like most in this chap. ;D)**  
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****Mogkupo:**** Thanks always! well for the mean time, yeah, I still have more chapters to post :D**  
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**AsukaEnergetic1: **I remember you telling me to add Alisa some chapters ago, and I kind of dodge your comment since I've known from the start that she will come out here, sooner or later :D hehe, let's have fun seeing the princess in a flu XD

**DaMastah101: **Haha, the ritual was really random for me, I just imagined it but what the heck, I need more scenes! XD and Yes, it's been like a running gag in the story now that nobody remembers Lili the first time they meet her XD a lot more are going to join the ride, nevertheless, I hope this chapter is as good as always :D

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**28) Unresolved Tensions**

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"Are you sure you need to go home?" Xiayou asked, standing at the boat ramp, one hand above her eyes to protect her sight from the morning sun glares. She had some sports pants on along with a sleeveless shirt. Her hair was tied-up in a bumpy ponytail and her forehead was sweating in little driblets. She had a white towel that embraced her neck from the back. The Chinese girl looked at Asuka, busy in the engine room.

Hwoarang walked by Xiayou, wearing sports wear himself. The only difference in the way they dressed was that Hwaorang wore orange tinted sunglasses while carrying a jug of water, precipitating from the cold liquid it was filled with.

"Hey, you're patients already starting a rebellion" Hwoarang stated to the busy ebony.

"What the heck are you talking about in broad morning, Hwoarang?" Asuka said while clapping dust away from her hands. She's been meaning to start the boat engines for minutes now. The storm might not have been strong enough to break down their ride but it was able to wreck some of their engines.

Hwaorang gave an annoyed look. "I'm talking about your sick girlfriend…well, literal sick…she's starting it again"

Asuka sighed as she knew what exactly the auburn head was saying. "That is one of the reasons why I really need to take her home." Asuka plunged the junks key of the boat. A loud gnashing sound comes out along with poop smokes at the front of the boat.

"I knew you couldn't do it" Hwaorang laughed at Asuka. The ebony look defeated but she felt stronger vibrations in her fingers. She bit her lips and hoped this meant some fruit out of her hard work. The engine sounds becomes more like a gasoline pumping and suddenly all engine lights open up at the control boards of the boat.

Asuka clapped her hands and exhaled a big successful yell. "See, I told you I can fix it."

"That's amazing Asuka" Xiayou ran inside the engine room as well. "Now it's really sure you get to go home with Lili."

Asuka laughs off, lingering in her fresh upgraded ego of confidence. "Thank you, Xiayou" She said while rubbing her hands on the control panels. "But –really, I wouldn't want to leave you guys here if only there was a pharmacy here. I mean, I get that Alisa's a robot-

"She's an android" Xiayou cut thoroughly on Asuka's sentence.

"Ok, android…..doesn't seem different to me. And Lars is an uncle of the devil"

"Jin"

"Yeah, him….. But they should still at least have medicine, any kind of medicine, I mean what are they? Self healing Ninja's?"

"Tsk" Hwoarang muttered. "They just can't admit that neither of them know how to buy medicine, I mean, you never see them walkin' around town, shopping for house supplies. They're food choices aren't even found in the food pyramid."

"Way to say it and it's not like I can just order flu medicine from the nearest drug store here." Asuka took out her cellphone and looked at the screen, showing it to Hwoarang and Xiayou. "Not a single signal bar"

Xiayou lightly slapped Asuka's phone from her sight. "Really, you're talking about the signal? well, what kind of person would even cross the pacific to deliver flu medicine? The boat gas and effort to get here is not even gonna be half of what you'll pay for some flu medicine."

"And even if we did pay this certain delivery a high amount of money enough for all his gas and effort, we wouldn't be able to let him inside this secret lair. I bet he'd fell unconscious or run away as soon as those big scary rocks open up like hell's gate in front of him." Jin came in the conversation, appearing behind Xiayou.

The four of them laughed together before Jin cleared his throat and looked at Asuka. "You two should go now, the storm still might comeback and if Lili's in a high fever now it's gonna be dangerous for her to travel wet."

"Yeah, I'm on my way now to fetch her. Wait for us here, I'm sure she has a couple of….reminders for everyone" Asuka waved her hands up and won to the engine room, expecting the three to stay put in that place.

"A sweet farewell will be more anticipated" Xiayou giggled in a rush to still let Asuka hear it and giggle back at her.

Upstairs, alone inside a humongous empty room with nothing but a small bed, a wooden side table and one cabinet. Lili was working hard to get her clothes set. Three knocks came from the door; Lili struggled to close her dress at the back. The door knocks came again, now accompanied by a voice.

"I told you to wait for me right?" Asuka scolded the blonde lightly from outside the room.

"Asuka, I'm just sick, not disabled. I can put clothes on my own" It was a good thing Lili said this as she opened the door, showing Asuka how true it is that she can fit on her clothes without any help from anyone. Lili showed off her neatly fitted dress on her tall, slim body. "See?" She said with a vain smile before her zipper zips down from the back, causing her to hold on to the neckline of her dress before it all falls off of her.

Asuka shaked her head "Yeah, I can perfectly see….that I was right" Asuka circled her fingers in the air, telling Lili to turn around inside the room. The ebony locks the door behind her. She takes the dress zipper, small and white, dropped to the waist part of Lili. She raises it up in one go and buttons the dress at the top, securing it completely. Her last touches are fixing the collars of the dress and combing the blonde's hair with her fingers.

"I know you just don't want to look spoiled for the others, that's why I decided to take care of you back home. At least there, you can be as spoiled as you want." Asuka was talking while simultaneously combing and kissing Lili's hair from her back.

"Spoiled? No thanks, the last time I was like that, you called me an idiot" Lili turned back to face Asuka.

"Oh well, if you don't want to be spoiled, then at least I'll have you for myself back home. You, me, and a flu." Asuka offered her hand to Lili.

"A bad timing flu-hachoo" Lili covered her mouth with a handkerchief on her hand.  
"We better not hold hands; I need them to cover my mouth"

Asuka gave Lili a _"really?"_ expression but still did what the blonde requested. They instead walk next to each other, but Asuka could see how dizzy Lili looked while she walked so she had one of her hand at the girls back, there to catch her whenever she seemed to lose balance.

Lars and Alisa were standing with the other Alliance at the boat dock. Only the three Alliance was having some little talks, Lars and Alisa stayed quiet at the farthest of their left. When the two noticed Asuka and Lili coming up the boat they immediately came closer and greeted them.

"I hope you get back to Tokyo finely" Lars said. He moved aside to let Alisa hand the two of them some kind of remote machine.

"It will help regulate your boat's engine; it doesn't look like it'll reach Tokyo without shutting down." Alisa took the remote and plunged its wire at an open port in the control panel. It lights up and creates graph images, changing heights and color.

"Ohhh" The other three Alliance awe like children.

"Just push this red button at the middle and you're boat will have no problem at all" Alisa pointed at the big red button.

"A red button?" Everyone reacts nervously.

"Alisa, why'd you have to make it a red button? Couldn't it have been green? Blue? Yellow?" Xiayou asked the android, trying to sound as nice as she can.

"Why, is there something wrong with red buttons?" Alisa pointed out.

"Nobody trusts the red buttons." Hwoarang said.

Lili shaked her head. "Guys, come on, it's ok. Thank you for your concern Alisa" Lili smiled at the android who smiled back at her.

"Your welcome, I hope you do your best at the ride"

The others were already looking scared while they are helplessly pushed out of the boat by Alisa. Asuka was scared herself, she was starting the engine the manual way but Lili stopped her.

"Asuka, she said to push the red button." Asuka looked worried at Lili.

"Are we really going to trust that?" The others outside was hand signaling Asuka not to, but Lili pushed on the red button while her attention was being taken by the others.

"Lili why'd you push it? Are you out of your mind?" Asuka tries to plug out the remote from the boat, but she can already feel the boat engines starting.

The boat rumbles a big amount of smoke from its back. Asuka's worry reached its maximum. "Oh, no" She said while running to the wall with Lili, they sit down at the suspended chairs and buckles their seat belts on. Xiayou, Jin, Hwoarang and Lars knew exactly by now what the remote really was for.

The boat explodes off the Pacific Ocean, in a mighty nitro pack that can't be far from what Alisa uses in her jetpacks.

"Well, there they go, not even saying bye to us" Xiayou pointed her hand to the horizon.

"They'll come back as soon as Lili's better; I mean did you even see how far her fever has reached her normal thinking process? She didn't have an inch of doubt about the red button, and Lili is a doubt freak." Hwoarang told out loud.

"Yes, that's why for now, I'll only lecture the three of you about the missions, you'll start them once they come back." Lars joined the conversation. He looked at his nephew who was not showing any reaction on his face.

"I trust that we are actually working together now." The blonde uncle says without particular elaboration before walking out on the three.

"So, Alisa, you and me are the only girls left now….want to hang out?" Xiayou clung herself to the left arm of the android.

"What are we going to do?"

"Oh, you know, take baths together, paint our nails, talk about girl stuff….just trust me, it'll be like our past hang outs" Xiayou dragged Alisa to the other side of the boat dock.

Jin and Hwoarang were left to look at each other. "Want to practice some moves?" Hwoarang offered the black head.

"Yeah, I haven't done that since you guys kidnapped me" Jin was about to go at the same direction Xiayou and Alisa went to but Hwoarang whistled at him. "Hey, you don't get to practice on the ocean that often, I say we do a water fight" Hwoarang raises his eyebrow at Jin, clearly challenging the guy.

Jin gave a smug grin before going back to the end of the dock. He takes off his jacket, polo and shoes. "It is a nice day to swim" He said before jumping to the ocean.

Hwoarang jump to the ocean after taking off his shirt. He rose up the water after doing some diving for a few seconds. "So, are we going to fight or not?"

Jin didn't seem to hear the guy; instead he went closer to the dock and looked on at the building. The walls were made of aquamarine colored glasses, making Xiayou and Alisa visible while they talked at a living area.

"Let's ask them to swim with us" Jin told Hwoarang.

Hwoarang chuckled. "You just want to see Xiayou in a swim suit."

"I doubt it that she even brought a swim suit with her."

"Aha, so you really are thinking about it" Hwoarang teased him before putting few of his fingers on his mouth, then blowing a loud whistle, audible even inside the building. Xiayou and Alisa look out and realize that the two guys were dipping in the ocean.

Hwoarang signals them to join, and by the look of Xiayou's excitement, the answer would only mean a _yes_.

15 minutes later at Tokyo, Japan. Exactly, 9:45 am

Asuka and Lili's boat nitro was calculated magnificently to run out at the exact distance from Lars hideout to the public docking shore of Tokyo. They left the boat at the boat parking, hoping to ride on it when they come back within the next days.

Asuka guided Lili to the taxi bay. Lili understood how Asuka would need the taxi to stop over at a drug store, but she was baffled as to why the girl also had to stop over a post office.

"Who did you send a letter to?" Lili asked Asuka as soon as she came back inside the taxi.

"To my dad, he's wanted to hear from me." Lili nods her head, and doesn't question Asuka any further.

Finally back at the dojo, or what they fondly call home now.

Asuka helped Lili up the third floor and set the blonde's bed before helping her change into pajama's and lie comfortably at bed. Lili was left inside the bedroom while Asuka took care of cooking some food for them. When the ebony did return upstairs, she brought a big tray full of food. She cooked the traditional hot porridge for Lili, while she prepared herself some vegetables fried in Worcestershire sauce.

Asuka was already biting on her food; she was watching Lili, just looking at the porridge serve in front of her on a bed table. Asuka smiled and continued to chew on her food. When she had enough of internal laughing she wiped her mouth and took the porridge out of Lili's sight. The blonde head shifted her face to Asuka. "Ah…I was just waiting for it to get cold…it's hard to eat hot food…"

"I told you right? You're allowed to be spoiled today, so say AH" Asuka pointed a spoonful of porridge and lifted it in front of Lili. Her other hand was under the spoon, careful not to spill anything on Lili's comforters.

Lili still looked hesitant, but Asuka's hand wasn't moving unless she takes the serving, and she still does, after a few seconds. Asuka giggled at her stubbornness, and all Lili could is to giggle along, while, of course, slightly punching Asuka to shut her up.

They continued that until Lili finished the whole porridge bowl and Asuka gave her meds for the flu. When Asuka came back up the bedroom from washing the dishes downstairs, she saw Lili, trying to get some sleep now.

The ebony took the mono block chair adjacent to Lili and sat in front of the sick girl. Lili felt the girl's presence and opened her eyes to look at Asuka.

"Asuka, get some rest too."

Asuka nodded her head. "I will, right here."

Lili shaked her heavy, hot head at the soft white pillows, making shuffling sounds on her hair and the cotton covers of the cushion. "No, rest at your bed, I can just shout to you if I need something."

"No, I'll stay here with you, I wouldn't want you to get tired because of shouting"

Lili giggles. "Asuka, nobody gets tired because of shouting"

"The sick are always tired" Asuka counter argues to her. Lili looked a bit surprised, and she just let go of her argument, admitting defeat and giggling again.

"Well, what do you know, the only times I win an argument over my smart girlfriend is when she's sick" Asuka adds on.

Lili laughs. "The mind is also tired when you're sick"

"Yeah, but I'd rather lose every other argument then to have you sick, now rest"

"Yes, Nurse Asuka" Lili teases a last time before she closes her eyes. Asuka stares at her for awhile before settling in the chair and starting to fall asleep as well. It was only three ticks of the clock when Asuka felt a warm hand tap her in the lap. She opened her eyes and saw Lili reaching out her hand to her.

"What is it?" Asuka asks in a sleepy sounding tone.

"Can we hold hands, please?" The blonde asks so genuinely that Asuka couldn't stop the end of her smiles to reach her ears. She pulls her chair to the head side of the bed and pushes it to stick at the bed. "Of course, you can even rest your head on my lap" She offered, while helping Lili to find a comfortable position between the part of her body in bed and the other on Asuka's.

Asuka still had to stay quiet to let Lili quickly fall asleep, and as the blonde deeply fell in slumber above her lap, Asuka started to feel sleepy herself.

_She feels warm, very warm. Her fever makes her whole body burn like a stove.I'm amazed that she's not reeling in to the heaviness of her body or the sure dizziness she feels. She's not even complaining about the food, so she must be unable to taste anything.I love the way she's become so caring now, trying to be well and strong for us around her, and she tries her best not to annoy me anymore, nonetheless, I may as well admit it that I find it hard to get annoyed of her. She's like a child right now, asking for me to baby her, but I do wish she can act like this more often.I wish I'll be the only person she'd act like this with._

Asuka set an alarm on her cellphone and reached for her headsets at the nearest table to her. Lili mildly waked up and sees her putting on the headsets. "What's that for?" she manages to ask in shrink eyes.

"I set an alarm for the time of your medicine, so I can wake up in time for it." Asuka explained it quite briefly. She caressed Lili's hair, helping the blonde to fall asleep again.

"I see…." Lili yawns after. "Thank you for doing that…." She continues to talk while slowly drifting back to sleep. "I really love you…."

Asuka smiled warmly and reaches to kiss Lili in the cheek, she hears the girl call her name in a small volume. "Yeah, I love you too, Lili" She says before resting her head above Lili's shoulders and letting herself catch some sleep too.

***~*~*~* Back to the Lar's Hideout *~*~*~***

"Whoa! The ocean's cold!" Xiayou shouted as her whole body submerged to the waters. Jin and Hwoarang looked at the girl, enjoying herself with splashing Alisa with water.

"Uh, Xiao, are you sure Alisa can get wet?" Jin asked the girl, trying to hold her in the shoulder but Xiayou swam away before he could reach her.

"Don't worry Jin, Alisa's not your usual kind of robot, she's waterproof"

"And drown proof" The pink haired added, opening her one hand and spewing a large gush of water on Xiayou. The Chinese had barely cleared her face of water when she climb back to the shore and chased the android, running around in very short tight shorts and bra, colored all in yellow.

Jin shaked his head and drowned back to the ocean. Hwoarang watched him and exhaled in dismay. "How pathetic" He said before leaving the black head alone in the ocean.

***~*~*~* Back at Tokyo *~*~*~***

By the sunken sun hour, Asuka was coming to with the help of an irritating bell ringing on her ears. She slowly raises her self from resting above Lili. Her hands scratches on her eyes while she yawns with all she got. She looked at her patient, still asleep on her lap and holding tightly on her right hand. Asuka carefully removes Lili from her, she needs to get down and get the girl's food for her evening medicine.

It only takes her a couple of minutes to reheat the porridge and go back up. Her sleeping patient was still breathing calmly in her dreams, and it made Asuka feel bad to wake her up, but she needed to. Little by little she calls Lili's name, closer to the girl's ear. She also taps Lili in the back, and she can feel the girl was still heating up.

Lili mumbles for many times before her blue eyes opens up and stares in blurry images at Asuka.

"Asuka" The ebony smiles at her.

"Hey, I'm sorry I woke you up, but you have to take your medicine now"

Lili smiled weakly. "It's no big deal, I should be sorry for giving you so much trouble." Asuka helped the blonde stand to a sitting position in the bed. She then sat in front of Lili, carrying the bowl of porridge and spoon.

Asuka leaned her head on Lili, she rested her forehead above the sick girl's and she can feel heat travelling on her temples. "I told you it's fine right? I got you"

Lili smiled as she nodded at Asuka. "Let's get our stomachs full then"

"Well, not too much, I'm not used to eating as soon as I wake up."

"Don't worry; this is just a small amount to keep your body ready for the medicine."

Asuka gave Lili the first spoon and they spent the entire half hour just jesting one another for _this is the last bite_ and _this is really the last bite_. Lili dranked her meds and tried to stand up.

"Where are you going?" Asuka asked her, stopping herself from brignging the plates downstairs.

"I need to pee" Lili admitted with a blush on her face. Asuka double thought of helping the girl, but Lili already gave her the expression that she can do it on her own. The night eventually comes on, and it seems like the medicine are working now. Asuka stared at the digital thermometer that read 38°C, which counts for a close to average temperature for humans.

Asuka sighed in relief. "Thank God, at least I know you're healing"

Lili manages to give out a real laugh now. "With a nurse as strict like you, I actually made a bet with the others that we'd be back by the second day, and it looks like I'll win."

Asuka nods her head, but she seems hesitant to agree with the girl. Lili doesn't notice her expression, and continues to believe that Asuka is with her. By afternoon the next day, Lili's fever was really getting better; she doesn't feel dizzy anymore, although she does tell Asuka that her body is still heavy as a rock. By 4 pm, Lili was starting to sweat now, and it was a good sign that her fever is already going out of her body.

"You know what would make your body feel less heavy?" Asuka riddled to the sick girl who was wiping her face sweat with some tissues.

"More medicine?" Lili tried to guess.

"A bed bath" Asuka said so casually that Lili agreed almost instantaneously before realizing what it meant. As soon as she did realize it, she took all her comforters and buried herself in them.

"No way Asuka, that's the last thing I'd want you to do"

"Why not? I have practically nothing more to see…."

Lili was talking from below the thick white comforters. "It'd be humiliating….the last thing I want is for my girlfriend to give me a bath"

"It's a bed bath Lili, it's different. I'll just bring some towels and lukewarm water with a bit of soap, and wipe you with it….imagine me just putting on some sun screen for you."  
Lili could hear Asuka shuffling out of the room, she tried to upsurge out of her comforters but she's buried herself so deep that by the time she got out of the sheets, Asuka was already filling water to a shallow basin.

Lili trembles back to her covers as she heard Asuka come back to her bedroom, but it was no use to hide since Asuka is fairly stronger than her, and she has all it needs to pull the comforters away from Lili.

The blonde head curled herself to the end of the wall and stuck there. "Come on Asuka, I was just joking, I've never felt lighter in my whole life"

"I lied about it making you feel lighter, Lili, but you haven't taken a bath in three days. Now, you don't smell bad or anything, but I know you're very meticulous about personal hygiene and since you can't take a full bath yet, I'm here and ready to offer you a warm bed bath."

"Don't say it like its some kind of service….." Lili looked at Asuka, hoping the girl would eventually get tired of forcing her, but the ebony didn't give a smidgen of a sign that she's going to let this go. Lili's eyebrows crumpled, she's incapable to go against Asuka, since she admits it herself that she really wants to wash, and this is her only way for now.

"Just the upper body" Lili gave her condition, "and don't stare at me"

Asuka turned her head left to right, "The first one I can do…" She took one hand to Lili's face and gently brushed her hair to the back. "I'm not so sure about the second."

"You're making me double think"

"No, it'll be fine" Asuka started to pull the long sleeve pajama that Lili's been wearing since yesterday. The blonde tried to fight with her but too soon enough; Lili had to take it off herself.

"See how damp it is? You've been sweating all over it since morning. It's really the best decision to give you bed bath" Asuka threw the pajama to her back, Lili could only close her eyes when Asuka told her to turn around. The blonde head waited for the warm water to drip down her back but all she felt was perfectly concentrated temperature in the wet towel that Asuka was applying on her skin.

"Wow, how'd you make it like that?" She couldn't help but ask in curiosity.

"I put more hot water, less soap and a bit of alcohol, it helped control the warmness, which must feel great, doesn't it?"

"I can't argue with that" Lili closed her eyes now to feel the full relaxation of Asuka's strokes on her back.

"Lil'…." Lili's eyes opened up with a shiver through her spine. Asuka stopped moving her hands on her back. "You need to take off your bra."

Lili bit her lips, "Must you really do that?"

"I'm not gonna be able to thoroughly clean you if you still have your bra on." Asuka was slightly pulling the clasp of Lili's black pair of bras. The blonde head didn't say anything anymore; she let Asuka take it off for her. The tomato rings forming on both their faces were heavily visible, and quietly through the night, their heartbeats drummed a little faster than usual.

Asukas was now wiping the front part of Lili, careful not to actually stare at her for the whole time, because, that would make a different other scene from their purpose of just doing a bed bath. When Asuka was done with most of Lili's chest, she handed the girl a towel to cover herself.

"Here" Asuka circled the towel on Lili's back, and she realized at this time that Lili was outrageously shy. She was blushing red and pink, her nose was beginning to get runny again, and her eyes were squinted and watery, she looked like a kid who was about to cry.

The ebony paused and dawdled this moment.

_She's blushing so much, it's unimaginable unless I saw her in front of me like this…..she's adorable…all googly eyes and looking away from me…well, it's just right to do that, Lili, because you really make me lose control right now_

Asuka pushed her weight off to Lili, embracing her down the bed.

"Asuka" The blonde muttered in a nervous voice.

"I'm sorry Lili, I can't help it anymore" Asuka warned her before taking Lili's head, ready to pull her to a kiss but Lili is able to intercept Asuka by raising her arms up and pushing Asuka gently away from her.

"NO, I don't want you to catch my flu"

"Lili, you're on your way to becoming better, I won't get your flu" Asuka started to stroll back to Lili but the blonde head pushed her again.

"Asuka, you crazyhead! Flu's become more contagious when it's getting better."

"Then let me have them, I'd be happy as long it's from you"

The two of them stay quiet.

"….baka" Lili pointed her eyes at Asuka. "I won't be happy if you get sick because of me…. I'm already a problem by making you take care of me."

Asuka nodded her head this time; she'd finally got herself under control.

"Ok, I'm sorry, I lost myself there..."

Lili looked at Asuka, smiling "As soon as I'm better, I promise...we can do it" And so the night goes on where romantic tensions need another day before it can be released.

***~*~*~* Back to the Lar's Hideout *~*~*~***

However, the other half of the alliance, across an ocean away, is also experiencing some major tensions.

Jin had been alone in the ocean for a long time before he realized it himself. He climbed back up to the deck and walked around the area, trying to find out where the others were.

He kept walking through the building and taking sights at the rooms, but none of the three who was with him a while ago, was anywhere to be found. Jin walked back to the dock, where he's decided to get into fresh clothes and go talk to Lars.

He takes his stuff and goes to the other front door from the side of the building. He opens the door, and there he finds Xiayou. The Chinese was scanning her hands on the wall; her eyes were blindfolded by a handkerchief.

"Xiao" Jin calls the girl. The Chinese obviously didn't recognize his voice, but she was able to feel where he was. Xiayou reached for him, her hands just reaching his neck.

"Uhhh...Hwoarang? is this you?"

Unbeknownst to Xiayou, she was just inches away to kissing the boy of her dreams, but Jin isn't unaware of it, he had full control now, just one lean, and it'll be sealed.

Jin closed his eyes and moved slightly closer to Xiayou, a little leaner and he's there, but a hand stops his mouth from reaching the girls. Hwoarang appears beside Jin, and whispers at him from the back

"You can't do that Jin, not unless you're sure"

Jin's eyes turn to an evil glare, he tries to get a sight out of the intruder from his peripheral view, and when he did get to see Hwoarang, he just handed him a grin, and then he proceeded to do what he intended.


	29. Chapter 29

****A/N: Ok, announcements, announcements... first of all, in light of my busy vacation I'm still not that fast with updating, but I've finally tied the story together..Thank God. So , from this chapter on, there's only 9 chapters left before the end of the story. In total, the story will have 38 chapters and I'm hoping to post the last 9 chapters before the end of November (unless you guys want me to take it longer to finish XD, it's not fun to wait! -_- ). Until then, I hope everyone enjoys the story and continue to follow it. God Bless, readers :D  
****

********Mogkupo:**** ****Thank you for always waiting :D enjoy the new chapter ^_^

******AsukaEnergetic1: ******Well, I know it'd be obvious that I re-watched Sono Hanabira, and suddenly thought..."Oh, I should write a scene like this" XD  
I always enjoy writing ecchi stuff between AsuLili (sometimes I'm even tempted to do a full on ecchi oneshot of them...) And I admit that before starting the story I already had a list of characters I wanted to appear, it wasn't planned by that time what they're roles would be, but they were on the list :D

****romak1997:**** I'm sorry to make you wait, nice chapters really take long to furnish :D and about the fight scenes, I'm real sorry if the fic has been lacking it by the middle to the present part, but I did it so I can focus more on the relationship development in the characters. The next chapters will be filled with fighting, but I guess there won' be a tournament in this fic. since it's set in a time where Jin is too busy to arrange it. But I do hope I can make you feel the classic tekken way with the upcoming fights.

* * *

**29) Let me re-introduce you**

* * *

First impressions are always present when you just met a person. So it can't be helped that the person is two sided for you. It's either he is what you think he is or actually the opposite. It takes time, and a lot of encounters before you can really get to know the person. Even for the smallest timeline of a week, you might find yourself, surprised about the things you never expected in your first impression.

It's a hazy morning, fog was barely lifting and the ocean smell was breathtaking. A girl sat alone at the end of the boat dock. She swinged her feet at the cold ocean, splashing water at herself sometimes. The girl felt confused, but she wasn't showing it on her face. She sighed many times onto the quiet atmosphere, and for a while she wondered how long would she keep this up?

No one was there to stop her, so she felt like she had all the time in the world to continue this. She looked at her reflection in the blue green water. Her feet swinging created big ripples in the water, making her image wiggle.

She stared at herself but at the same time, she wasn't really looking at herself. She felt vibrations on the wood she sat on; someone was approaching her from behind. Hwoarang came out of the mist, wearing blue jeans and an orange jacket. He's sight was down all the time, leveled to look directly at the girl.

He didn't know that the girl had felt him coming. Hwoarang could also see how his friend was quietly staring at the ocean; he called her name to get her attention.

"Xiayou"

The Chinese didn't say anything before she turned her head around and gave Hwoarang a timid smile. "You're up so early"

Hwoarang raised his shoulders. "I think I had a bad dream"

"What kind of bad? Is it the kind of dream where you realize that you're not handsome anymore?" Xiayou laughs at her own joke. It might sound harsh, but she is one of the few people who knows how conceited Hwoarang is, and is brave enough to make a joke out of him for it.

Hwoarang didn't really like the joke, but he gave a little chuckle just to let the girl know that he's not offended by it. "Ha ha" He then says in a sarcastic tone. "It's the kind of dream you'd wish was just a dream. Hell, I'm now stuck with a two couple's team"

Xiayou's smile quickly faded now. "It's not official yet"

Hwoarang scooted down to sit close to Xiayou. He let his feet dip down the ocean, along with his black slippers. His arms were hidden at the pockets of his jacket.

"Guy's like him won't do those things for no reason"

Xiayou raised her one foot and splashed some water at Hwoarang's direction. The auburn head dodges the salt water. He gets the signal that Xiayou wants him to move further, and so he slided his body, a few more inches away from the girl.

"I'm not so sure about that Hwoarang…..what if there's something behind it?"

"Why are you trying to act like it doesn't mean anything?"

Xiayou went blank, she realized just now that she's been playing a game of denial.

"You're right Hwoarang; I must be in so much shock"

*~*~*~* Last Night at Tokyo *~*~*~*

Lili was sitting on her bed now, she had a lighter pajama on and her comforters were replaced by thin blankets. She heard the little twitting sound of the thermometer at her mouth. She looked happy when she took it out and quickly handed it to the girl in front of her. Asuka looked at the thermometer in her hand, it read 36.5°C. There was no denying that Lili's fever is gone now. It was obvious from how she moved and talked so energetically since the end of the afternoon. She's extreme feeling of cold was gone now too, and she's actually yearning for some of that cold to damp her body.

"The thermometer has spoken, you are officially well now" Asuka raised her hand in front of Lili, asking her for a handshake.

"I couldn't have been if it weren't for you" Lili took the hand of the ebony, and quickly she was pushed down by its force. Asuka moved her hand back while dragging Lili along.

There was no need to explain what she was about to do, after all, they've talked about it already. Asuka went directly for it, kissing Lili in the lips as quickly as she pulled her. It took a while before Lili could catch up with her, especially when the first thing in her mind was that she wanted to initiate this and now, poof, it's done.

"Asuka, really" Lili commented as soon as they stopped kissing.

"What? You said we can do it as soon as you're better."

"No that's not what I said"

"Yes, it was, since when did you start having faulty memories?"

"The same time you started misunderstanding what I meant" It was Lili's time now to pull Asuka out of her chair and in to the bed.

"You know Asuka, there are only a few times I can have you all to myself like this, and I'm not going to leave this place without having you entirely. We're going to go all the way tonight."

Lili was pushing the ebony to the end of the bed. Asuka was confused with surprise and excitement, she was easily getting moved until her head hit the wall and Lili had to slap her lightly.

"Hey, are you ok?" Lili asked.

Asuka scratched the top of her head, but she really didn't feel any pain. How could pain even enter her system when her body was busy letting all the eagerness to stay put and not burst.

"I'm perfectly fine" Asuka answers her before embracing her from the waist. She lets them fall down the bed and there she starts to kiss Lili in the neck. Her kisses traveled from all directions, she couldn't help but suck on some parts of Lili's neck, and when her teeth tittered in intense feelings, she also couldn't help but bite into the thin white neck of her girlfriend. Her whole attention was flooded into drinking from Lili's face, lips and neck, while her partner helped her get out of her clothes.

Asuka felt Lili's hands pulling on the t-shirt she was wearing, she didn't mind it at first, but she realized that Lili's pull was different. Little by little, she was getting pulled to Lili's right; she stopped kissing Lili and looked at the girl. Lili only smiled at her before continuing to trample her down to the right side.

Asuka catched her breath while looking into the ceiling, she felt Lili move beside her, and a few seconds later, the blonde head had rested above her. Lili raised her head after catching her own breath. She held Asuka's face with her hands and told her something that made the ebony look at her with an unpaintable expression.

"I wanted to lead this one" Lili muttered seriously.

"Lili, this isn't a competition…." Asuka quickly answered her.

"No, of course I know that, crazyhead" Lili brushed Asuka's hair to the back. "I just wanted to be the one to make you happy this time. You took care of me, so this is my thank you for you. Let me do everything for tonight." Lili brushed her hands on Asuka's cheeks; and squeezed them before she started to kiss her again.

Asuka let her; she didn't try to make a move of her own. If she agreed to what Lili said, it wasn't important. What was important for Asuka was that they both feel happy.

But Happiness for Asuka didn't mean just being with Lili and doing everything with her. Asuka woke up early in the next day, the morning was spurged with hot sunrays and noisy cicada cries, able to come inside the bedroom because of an open window. She left Lili on the bed and made her way downstairs, she wanted to be alone, and she wanted to think. She had plans today, plans that dhe didn't tell her other half about.

The plan is not something bad, for Asuka that is. There's a big chance that Lili won't think of it as bad either, but she might not want to do it.

Persuade. Asuka has to convince Lili to agree with her plan. There were few ways to convince Lili, according to Asuka's experience. The first was to tell her what she wants.  
Like that time they were training to go to the Revers Tournament.

_"Look, as much as I don't want you to be my partner, you can't leave me now since the tournament is on the next day and I don't know if I can find any capable partner anymore."_

Asuka remembers herself saying that just to stop Lili from thinking more of leaving. She didn't expect that that was the only thing she needed to do.

_"You find me as a capable partner?" _

Lili asked her with happiness, already revealing that Asuka's convince her to stay with little words. Asuka had to frown that time, she felt irritated to state the things that Lili wanted to hear, but Lili is a person who's convince by words.

_ "Yes, I do."_

Asuka answered whilst swallowing her pride. Yet her drained pride didn't go to waste because Lili never left her after that.

The second thing you need to do in order to convince Lili, is that you have to go by her rules.

Like at that time when they were about to board the junk train inside the mountain caves. Lili only agreed to ride the train if, Jin became watch guard at the top.  
_ "I wan to go, but I don't trust it at all. So, I want you to just sit on top of the train and watch the rails while we're all inside."_

Everyone was surprised with the tenacity of Lili's condition for continuing to the ride, but we all know that her decision of having Jin watch on top was still the best.

Asuka was running out of ideas on how to convince Lili, but she's sure that if there's one more to make it to the list, it would be that she'd promise Lili she'll be there with her.

*~*~*~~* At Lars Hideout *~*~*~*

Xiayou sat next to Alisa at the right end of the big spherical glass table. Just in front of them, at the left part of the table, Jin and Hwoarang sat far away in each revolving chairs. Hwoarang looked sleepy at the projector screen. They were listening to Lars, explaining the missions he wants the Alliance to accomplish for him. Xiayou wasn't listening to the lecture; instead, she kept stealing glances of Jin. The guy is busy with listening to his uncle, but he tilts his head to Xiayou for a second. They meet each other's sight, and Jin was the first one to give the Chinese a little smile before continuing to listen.

Xiayou pulled her head back and buried her sight to the floor.

_Ugh, stop looking at him anymore! He's going to get irritated if he keeps catching you do so!_

"Xiayou, what is it?" Alisa also looked at the floor, curious as to what the girl might be looking at.

The Chinese raised her head, and tried to act normal. "Oh, no, I just thought I had a stain on my shoe. Lucky me, there wasn't" she giggled nervously. "Let's continue listening to Lars"

Lars explained above an elevated platform. He had a laser pointer remote to explain routes indicated in maps. "Basically, there are three places you need to infiltrate" He says in a brief summary.

No one talks in the room, although Jin seems to understand everything, and Xiayou doesn't understand one thing.

"Once you're other members are back, I want you to fill them in as soon as possible. These missions need to be done. The moment they return."

A loud bumping sound distracts the heavy silence inside the cold encased room. Hwoarang's head falls violently on the table as he gives in to sleep. Xiayou looks at him, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Wow, falling asleep right in front of a lecture, you really are something" The Chinese dallies at the auburn head, snoring at the glass table top.

Jin didn't look at the sleeping head on his back, he was focused on exchanging serious glaces with Lars. Alisa stands up from her chair and turns on the lights. The projector is turned off and Lars leaves the room first.

"When are Asuka and Lili coming back?" Jin asks Xiayou from across the table.

The Chinese tilt her head to one side. "Supposedly today…but Asuka told me that if they aren't back by afternoon, then we'd just have to expect them by the next day"

Jin nodded his head. "I see"

Xiayou smiled at Jin, she felt nervous about going back to staring at him. She shifted her head and tried to look at what Alisa was up to. The android was turning off the computers and aircondition. Xiayou stood up from her chair and walked across the table, she lifted her hand above Hwoarang, ready to wake him with a big hand lunge.

"Can I talk to you, Xiao?" Jin suddenly came between her.

"Huh?" Xiayou's hand stopped moving, she looked surprised, and red at Jin. "Ah, of course…I'll just wake old' Hworang here"

"Ok, I'll just wait for you at the dock then" Jin stands up from his chair; he passes by Alisa and greets her before completely leaving the room.

Xiayou's nervousness was maximized; her open hand became a round fist when it hit Hworang at the back of his neck. Immediately the auburn head woke up, raised his head and rubbed his back neck.

"Ah..aw..aw, Xiayou, why'd you have to punch me so hard?"

"He wants us to talk Hwoarang, what if he's going to clear it now? Oh, what am I going to do?"

The boy felt nauseus just by being asked of girl love problems. "Just go with the flow, damn it. If you feel so happy, punch him, not me"

"Ah, this is the problem with girls opening up to boys" Xiayou says disheartingly before running up to Alisa. "How about you Alisa?"

The pink haired girl recessed from fixing the cable wires under the platform. She looked at Xiayou, who looked all giggly and fidgety.

"Lars specifically told me not to trust him so freely, I think you should too." Xiayou and Hwoarang felt uncomfortable with Alisa's words. They stayed quiet until Alisa cracked a laugh and told them she was joking.

"I think you can handle it, Xiayou" Alisa tells the Chinese, tapping her in the shoulder for better reassurance.

*~*~*~* Tokyo Dojo *~*~*~*

Asuka was still thinking at the dining table when Lili got down the stairs. She was dressed in shorts and t-shirts now, a proof that she is perfectly well now.

"Coming down here, I said I'd forgive you for leaving me at the bed if I find a yummy breakfast with you in an apron serving me."

Asuka could only giggle as Lili went to her. She embraced Lili in the waist, burying her head in the soft fabrics of Lili's t-shirt. The blonde scrambled her hands on Asuka's hair, obviously enjoying herself with a big laugh.

"I can make you breakfast now" Asuka turned away from Lili and went to the kitchen. Lili looked dissatisfied and followed her, closing the refrigerator before Asuka could open it in full.

"What that's it? No good morning kiss?" Lili twitched her lips to the right.

"Of course, how could I forget" Asuka slapped her palm on her forehead.

Lili only smiled at the ebony before putting her hands on Asuka's back and ultimately pulling her and pushing her to her body. She smirked at the girl, two inches smaller than her and went on to kiss her. Under their clothes they were still garmentless, making their early kiss feel more haphazard than usual. Lili pushes Asuka to the counter top, making a noisy sound with the near plates and glasses being hit by Asuka's elbows.

The two of them panted and laughed at each other, Lili embraced Asuka again, this time, a little more tightly. Tight enough to make Asuka's bone crack heardable.

"I think there's something wrong with the drugs I gave you" Asuka said while stretching her hands to put back the bones in place.

Lili laughed to the top of her lungs. "Whatever was wrong with my drugs, I'm sure you did it on purpose. I don't believe I like taking the leads"

Asuka nodded her head repeatedly. "Yeah, yeah, I must have, unconsciously" The two of them laugh together again.

Their hysterics go on for a while before it slowly volumes down and become little whispered smiles.

"We should better get ready to go back to the others" Lili said, after being the first one to get over the laughing.

Asuka's funny face didn't look entertained anymore. "Actually, Lili…I wanted to tell you this sooner, but I want to go somewhere…and I want you- "

"To go back alone?"

"To come with me."

Lili looked curious at Asuka. "Where? Is it important to go there today?"

Asuka shaked her head. "Well, not really, but yeah. It is. I'm going home"

Lili looked surprised now. "Home? As in back to Osaka? Is this because of that letter you sent to your dad a few days ago?"

Asuka bit her lips. "Ah huh" she answers without further explanation.

"Asuka, is something wrong?"

"No, no it's just…." Asuka keeps looking away and back to Lili. She stares at the blonde, looking all serious and worried now. The ebony raises her shoulders and drops them back. "I want to introduce you to my dad"

Lili's left eyebrow instantaneously rises. "Asuka, you're dad knows me already. Look, if you just can't tell, then at least don't lie about it-

"Emilie, you know what I mean" Asuka halts Lili from speaking, holding the girl by her forearms. She gives the blonde a pleading look in the eyes.

Lili stares long and hard at Asuka, she sighs deeply and agrees with one nod of her head.

*~*~*~* Osaka *~*~*~*

Asuka took out a big fuzzy scarf colored in white and gray from her bag. She swung it behind Lili's neck and offered the girl to wear it.

"I'm ok Asuka, I don't feel cold anymore"

Asuka doesn't listen; she continued to tie the scarf on Lili's neck. "You said the same thing when you got wet in the boat, I'm not going to let the same thing happen again"

Lili puffed her lips at Asuka, but it was useless since Asuka couldn't see it from the scarf that was covering her neck that reached until the nostrils of her nose.

They took a taxi to get to the Kazama house, but Lili made the car stop at the Kazama Dojo on top of the hill. Asuka took Lili's hand and was excited to drag her down the hill as quickly as possible.

Asuka pulled and pulled but after a while, she realizes that Lili wasn't moving at all. She looked back at the blonde. Lili was looking at everywhere, in every direction but her eyes didn't look like they were searching for something. It was actually like her eyes were a camera, recording the surrounding, detail by detail.

"Lili" Asuka shaked the girls hand that she was holding.

The blonde head jittered. "I'm sorry, I'm just feeling nostalgic" Lili smiled widely at Asuka.

Asuka smiled widely back at her. "Yeah, you and I both. This is where everything started huh?"

Lili's smile faded. She let go of Asuka's hand and shaked her head left to right in a slow process. "No, Asuka, maybe for you. But not for me."

Lili walked pass Asuka and continued to talk while the ebony followed her slow walk down the hill.

"I got tired of trying to make myself noticeable in your eyes. You can even ask Sebastian how I ended up getting a discount card on Japan Airlines for booking so many flights back here. So I decided, why not train more and be able to actually win over you at the next Iron Fist…."

"You joined that german subway contest to get more training" Asuka added on, quiet familiar to how the story is going now.

"Yeah" Lili giggles, "It's really obvious that I feel pathetic for myself. I was actually pretty happy to receive the free training program. By that time, I already had the hunch that maybe the reason why I keep losing to you was because of my style. _It's not good enough, _I say to myself and decided that I need to master this new style in the training program, and I'll finally be able to be at odds with you."

"Hah, then I guess your whole world just crumbled when you realized that I was going to be your teacher."

"Crumble is such a small word for what I truly felt that time. It was like a nuclear bomb with the sound of game over. I was going to go home the next day but then you said that we'll be teaching each other's style and I was like…That's great, I'll be able to know Asuka's every move from now on, and use it against her one day."

"Well, I don't think you need to do that anymore"

"Yeah, you're probably right." They stay quiet for a few seconds before Asuka opens a new topic.

"Do you remember the first thing you said that moment you realized I was your teacher?"

Lili gave a big wide grin, remembering the exact words so clearly.

_"No way…Asuka Kazama?" _Lili and Asuka said in chorus before bursting out to hysterical laughs again.

"Oh my, I even forgot I was still in the bath that time. I mean, I'd never imagine to see you in the shower with me." Asuka was half laughing and half talking, she was already wiping some tears at the ends of her eyes from too much fun of the memory.

"Well, yeah, cause we always meet at either in front of your school or the busy streets of Osaka"

"And don't forget the filthy and sometimes weird settings in tekken, really cheap looking arena's for a high profiled tournament."

"Touche, Asuka. Look at you, saying filthy and cheap at the same sentence, I've changed you so well."

"Not as much as I change you." Asuka took this chance to take Lili's hand again. They slowed down walkng and finally arrived at the front gate of the Kazama residence. Asuka presses on the doorbell by the gate. They nervously wait as they hear the sound of someone coming to open them.

Lili squeezes on Asuka's hand. "I always dreamed that you'd bring me here like this, but why does it feel like a nightmare right now?"

"Don't worry, whatever happens, we'll still be together." Asuka comforts her girlfriend. "I would've loved it if we both went to your dad too, I would've run to Monaco just to accompany you, if you only told me about it."

"Next time, I'll be the one to introduce you to him" Asuka and Lili look at each other, both looking for encouragement and strength. Alone, they did feel scared and nervous, but together like this, they knew they could get through anything.

The gate opens wide, and Mr. Kazama looks frantic at Asuka, not realizing that Lili was with her.

"Asuka, you crazy kid? What has gotten into your mind?" Mr. Kazama starts scolding Asuka right away. Lili is shocked and looks at Asuka for an explanation. The ebony winks at her and pulls them inside the house, ignoring the ranting father.

"Sending me a letter, telling me that you have a girlfriend now that you want me to meet?" Mr. Kazama continues to talk while Asuka let's Lili sit down at the living room.

"Since when did you have a girlfriend? And when did you ever start to date girls?" The wrecked havoc father kept talking to Asuka, following her from the living room to the kitchen. Asuka drank down from a one liter bottle of water at the fridge and wiped her miuth with the back of her hand.

"Since three months ago" Asuka said with a cool tone. She went to the cupboards and took one glass to pour some water on.

"Three months? Just a month and a half after you left here? What happened between those times?"

"Ah….I fell in love?" Asuka said in a matter of factly. She left her dad at the kitchen again and went back to the living room, handing Lili the glass of water.

"Don't try to run away from me Asuka, answer me directly here" Mr. Kazama followed Asuka into the living room.

"I am, I'm just serving some water here"

Mr. Kazama looked annoyed now, he's veins are coming out of his forehead and his teeth are visibly grinding atop another. Lili was quite the whole time, she held the glass of water tight on her shaking hands. She tries to take a sip of the liquid to help her calm down, but Mr. Kazama's next questions stops the water from sliding down her throat.

"Just who is this girlfriend you're so crazy about?"

Asuka looks at Lili for a moment then she looks back at her father. "Dad, what did I tell you in the letter?"

Mr. Kazama laughs. "Oh, I remember every bit of that heart stopping shock of a letter you sent me; you clearly wrote it that you'd bring your girlfriend today and introduce me to her, where is she?" looks back at Asuka.

"Well, who do you think I'm with?" Asuka raises her hands in the air.

Lili violently swallows the water in her throat.

Mr. Kazama realizes the big picture, he finally realizes that the only person with Asuka was Lili; he looks at the girl, shaking on the sofa, with the glass shaking along. Mr. Kazama looks at Asuka for confirmation. Asuka just nods her head while lip bitting.

"Emilie?" Mr. Kazama says in a tone of disbelief. "Oh, god, how did I end up expecting this from the start…..I always thought I was paranoid with suspicions….but this..this! oh god, oh dear"

"Dad, calm down" Asuka told her father, feeling that his reaction is overly dramatic.

"I was confident it'd be impossible, I mean, look how girly Lili is….it's unimaginable she'd ever be one"

Lili laughs nervously. "Actually Mr. Kazama, I was the one who… liked your daugther"

Asuka looks surprised at Lili, but Mr. Kazama was hit like an earthquake in ends up scratching his head in dismay. "Who would've thought?"

"It doesn't matter who started it Dad, we both love each other and I just wanted you to know it. If you don't accept it, then fine"

Mr. Kazama inhales and exhales deeply. "It's not about accepting it or not Asuka, it's your choice in life, and I didn't raise you to be one hell of a rebellious independent potato…but hey, you are, and I'm proud of you. I'm more than gland that you came out to me, and I admit that…..it is not good news."

"I'm sorry Mr. Kazama" Lili suddenly talks out.

"Lili, don't say sorry" Asuka scolds her. "It's like saying you regret us"

"Asuka's right, Lili, don't be apologetic about what you two have…..it's not good news...but neither is it bad news. If Asuka wants to be with you, then she should. One important thing in fighting is doing what you want and that goes with how you live. If I stop Asuka from what she's happy with, life is going to be a boring thing for her."

"Totally what my life was before" Asuka added.  
Mr. Kazama nodded his head. "The reason why she became crazy joining those tekken tournaments."

"I see" Lili agrees, still looking down.

"And Lili, you don't need to be so afraid of me. I'm not mad at you."

Lili smiles at Mr. Kazama, the man smiles back softly, and then he tells them his last advice. "I won't be the end of your problems even if I accept this as quickly as now; the two of you will always have to face more. My only good luck wish is that Asuka doesn't give you the kind of headaches she gives to me"

Lili giggles, she looks at Asuka. "Don't worry. She's good to me"


	30. Chapter 30

****A/N: Belated Halloween everyone. ****

******AsukaEnergetic1:****** Haha, well I can't stop being a perv when it's anything yuri, or AsuLili :3 Lili hasn't introduced Asuka yet!

****DaMastah101:**** I'm beginning to get faster with my updates, so it's really reasonable if you don't get to review a chapter or two. The more it gets to the ending, the more excited I feel like writing it. Haha, thanks to you and your awesome GF for readin the story, and saying that it's magnificent :DDDD I promise, I will make you guys happy _in the end_. :D

****romak1997:**** Oh, nothing like a good relaxation from school and reading a fanfic that's long to update but look, it's updated fast this time! XD Thanks, yeah, I'll keep it up!

* * *

**30) One, Two**

* * *

Lili stood outside a public bathroom. She had been standing there for a long time now, with a can of coke perspiring sweat on her palms. People crossed before her, laughing and talking so loudly. Everyone in the area was happy, was in their best Sunday clothes. A massive percent of the people walking around were children. The little monsters ran around, tiring their parents and siblings in trying to catch them. Yet even without a child to bring or to catch from running, Lili felt tired. She scanned through the gay atmosphere, keeping a smile as she savored the extreme and many colors of the buildings and the big toy like rides.

A moment later, Asuka went to her, drinking from a bottle of water and exhaling hard after.

"I told you not to eat burritos before riding the coaster" Lili said as soon as Asuka was next to her.

"So I vomited, no big deal. I was already in the bathroom anyways."

Lili handed Asuka some tissues to wipe on her mouth. Lifting her free hand, she realizes that she was carrying a coke with her other hand. She took the can of soda to her mouth and replenished her sweat in the high sun of that afternoon.

"By the way, our boat's ready to leave by eight tomorrow morning." Asuka handed the extra tissue Lili gave her awhile ago.

"That's good, I imagine the others must be frustrated on when we'll return there."

Asuka agreed, but she didn't want to stay on that topic anymore. It's been exactly four hours and twenty eight minutes since the time she re-introduced Lili to her father. The next half hour after that revelation was a boring stream of advices and comments. Asuka didn't want to hear any of them. I want to spend the rest of this day with Lili on a date somewhere, she thought. Once Mr. Kazama had gone tedious of his speeches, he asked what the two girls wanted to do now. We were planning on going to Disneyland. Asuka said so quickly it made her wonder why she even chose Disneyland. Lili was the most surprised, she knew about going to Osaka, but when exactly did Asuka tell her that they would go or rather planned to go to Disneyland.

Mr. Kazama raised one eyebrow, he could see that the looks the two girls had weren't matching.

"I won't hold you back anymore then, Disneyland is still back in Tokyo and it's already noon."

Asuka nodded her head and took Lili's wrist, she shaked her hand and made her stand up from the sofa. They bowed their heads together in front of Mr. Kazama and quickly went out of the house.

"Asuka, are you serious?" Lili asked in a tone of disbelief. She didn't hate the idea of going to Disneyland, especially with Asuka. It made her funny how this is the first time since she was seven years old, that she's felt so excited to go to a theme park.

"I just said it in a spurge of the moment" Asuka honestly told her girlfriend. She looked back at Lili, being dragged so effectively fast by her to the top of the hill. She saw a little disappointment spark on Lili's eyes, and that made her feel sad. Asuka did want to go on a date, but she didn't save up a big amount to go on a Disneyland date spree. The tickets there costs a lot, and it was already afternoon when they get back to Tokyo, that would be a half days worth of rides. But Asuka's heart couldn't betray those disappointed looks of Lili. Eleven thousand yen multiplied by two, being wasted on a kids theme park, having a big potential of not being fully enjoyed because of time constraint wouldn't be as big as a stone on Asuka's heart compared to how bad she'd feel for not making Lili happy.

"But now I really mean it. Let's go meet Mickey in person" Asuka told Lili in a big smile, while internally saying goodbye to her savings.

It was the best thing that Asuka had booked their tickets back and forth from Osaka, it was a minus to the things she'd have to pay for. The flight back to Tokyo took them less than an hour and a direct bus from Narita airport took them to Tokyo Disneyland in one hour. Arriving at the gate, there was still a long walk before you get to the very Disneyland. The place where they were standing at right now was the Disney Resorts World. A big open space that looked like a park cut out from the books of Alice in Wonderland. Lili enjoyed looking at the whole place, her face was in every direction. She left Asuka many times, indulging in the colors, designs, tarpaulins and costumes personnels.

"So, where is the main gate?" Lili asked Asuka while she wrapped their arms together. Asuka couldn't answer Lili. This is the first time that Asuka's went to Disneyland. Her father had told her many times that she'd bring Asuka there, but it's likely that he forgot about it, or by that the time he remembered it, Asuka was already better entertained with fighting and joining tournaments rather than riding in Dumbo flyers and Finding Nemo boats.

"Just walk ahead" Asuka said in voice stuck on her throat.

"This is the first time I've went to Disneyland, in Japan." Lili said and Asuka knew she made the right decision to not tell Lili that she hasn't been there either. It wasn't that Asuka was embarrassed to let Lili know that, but it was more because she wanted Lili to know that they were Ok. She wanted Lili to know that they won't be lost and she perfectly has everything under control.

When they reach the main gate, Asuka is careful not to let Lili see the prices of the ticket. The Disneyland ticket prices are decide by the age group you're in. She and Lili were both over eighteen, so the tickets alone cost Asuka something between ¥22,000 which is roughly equivalent to $195. She handed Lili a card as small as a credit card, having the face of Jessie from the Toy Story series.

"Jessie! I've been wishing to get this card, I already have woody, and buzz and…

Somewhere at that time when Lili was enumerating all the character cards she's gotten from Disney, Asuka stopped listening. First of all, Asuka didn't watch Disney that much, and even if she did, she was not good at remembering character names plus Lili enumerating all those characters revealed how many Disneyland's she's been to.

Five. Asuka counted in the end while partially listening to tilted her head to one side, noting that it was a great number, but little did Asuka know that there were only six disneylands in the world and by taking Lili here at Tokyo Disneyland, she'd helped Lili achieve her childhood dream of being able to visit every Disneyland there is.

"Ok, let's go inside now" Asuka pushed Lili in the back, helping the girl to enter the big Snow White castle that acted as the main gate to the real theme park. If the view outside the theme park was beautiful, the inside was a spectacle. Asuka couldn't help but admit that her savings didn't go to waste. Who wouldn't want to have a date in a beautiful place like this? She thought on further while squeezing Lili's hand.

"Asuka, its Mickey!" Lili shouted like an excited child who saw Mickey for the first time. Asuka still wanted to marble at the gorgeous sight of the theme park, but that would have to wait because of course, she wouldn't want to miss a picture with the most famous Mouse in the cartoon world.

Had Asuka not prompted Lili to stop taking pictures with every costumed characted they run into, the couple wouldn't be able to get a quick snack at the Mexican bar, where Asuka eats a big burrito that ends up in the toilet bowl after being swirled by a gut turning Space Mountain Roller Coaster ride. The event after that is Lili waiting for Asuka to come out of the bathroom and plan on just taking more pictures with the other characters inside the park.

"Hey, let's ride that one!" Asuka pointed her right index at another innocent looking coaster, but Lili has been to many Disney parks. She knew the language of the parks designs, they were made to look fun and child friendly, but once you ride them, you'd immediately feel like you were a minor forced to watch an adult's only film.

"No" Lili firmly said with a shake of her head. Asuka shaked her girlfriend's wrist trying to convince her.

"Come on, I won't throw up anymore"

Lili still tried to bring down Asuka's pushing but she still ended up accompanying Asuka in the ride. As she expected so hard, the ride was hell once the coaster car moved, it was evident that the ride is meant for ages above minors. The two of them ate dinner at the Castle Kitchen after some walks at the other parts of the park. The Castle Kitchen is inspired by the interior of the castle of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. In every Direction a white stone statue of a Disney Princess was displayed while dancing with her prince Charming. The chairs and tables were made of wood, created to look like those dining tables they used in the medieval times. Castle banners hung on walls and on ropes that spider webbed the tall ceilings of the Castle Kitchen. The windows were high pointed arches, inspired again by medieval architecture.

Asuka and Lili enjoyed eating there while listening to some girls who copied how the Dutch women sang and dance in clothes that resembled those worn by _Heidi_ in the mountains while taking care of goats and cows. Their impromptu expensive date ends with watching the fifteen minutes mostly applauded fireworks display of Disneyland before it closes.

Xiayou took so long to come down to the dock, and she felt bad to make Jin wait. She run as fast as she could and smiled instantly when she saw Jin waiting patiently by a wood post with his eyes shut close. The Chinese girl tried to bang her feet to the ground, just loud enough to let Jin know that she was there without her having to say anything. Jin opened his eyes, he sees Xiayou and looks at her.

Xiayou was waiting for a word or a smile but Jin just looked. She gave a little smile to try and make an action to the situation. Jin's eyes went wide and he suddenly moved as if he was trying to get his body out of a coma. He dusted off his hands and called the girls name.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I made you wait so long"

Jin shaked his head. "It's fine."

They went silent again after that. Xiayou mused and mused all over and did it again. It has took her more than a dozen recycles of the musings before she internally complains. What did he call me here for? Why isn't he saying anything? Am I the one who should talk first? Xiayou was in between the betweens of her many questions.

Unbeknownst to her Jin was only looking at her. Laughing inside, amused.

"Xiao" Jin started to talk, looking as calm as ever.

The Chinese acknowledged his call and said his name in return. Jin chuckled before he said another thing.

"Don't be nervous" Jin comforted the girl.

"Then don't be so quiet and distant there. I don't know why you called me here…..you're not saying anything at all." Xiayou cursed herself as soon as the words were out. How could she admit all that in a tone clearly showing some pathetic puppy traits?

Jin laughs fully now. "I'm sorry" he said after returting to his calms. "I wanted to tell you that you shouldn't feel confused. I think we haven't established what it is between us, solely because I'm a jerk who went and did things to you without explanation."

Xiayou wasn't saying anything anymore, but she agreed to what Jin said, she agreed in his every word. She bit the lower lips of her mouth and nodded at Jin.

"I'd love to be with you Xiayou" Jin stated in a simple, fast and clean sentence. It sounded like a fact for Jin, but for Xiayou, she felt like it was a spell. The Chinese had loved the idea of magic since she was a kid, she often went to parades and fairs and circuses that staged magic tricks and shows. And for the longest time, Xiayou had felt like it would only be a magic to be with him. Jin was a jerk. He didn't know how those little words of him could affect the girl before him. Xiayou could never admit it to him, how much her ears clapped to hear his words that meant he liked her back.

"Are you serious?" Xiayou asked shyly, afraid that she might offend Jin by making him think like she treated his words as a joke.

"Of course" The boy answered quick, stern, and directly at her.

Now her heart was wished so much that this is true, that this is real. Oh, God, please don't let this be one of my best dreams in life! Xiayou said in successive prayers. She had been imagining this sort of scene, a moment where Jin tells her he's feelings in a romantic place and with all sweet surprises.

There were no sweet surprises and a boat dock isn't actually a romantic place but it can do, Xiayou was just greatfull enough to hear Jin says he likes her.

"I really like you a lot, Jin" Xiayou went out of her way to say those words. She felt like the indirectness of their words was giving her a belt in the heart. She had to say the very words that was needed in this moment. But for a reason, she couldn't yell her feelings all out. I love you. Xiayou wanted to yell that more than anything, but she was afraid of the consequences. Having Jin look at her was one step, having Jin actually love her was altogether a different setting. If Jin did have those strong feelings for her, he would say it without Xiayou leading the path. She knew that, and she was willing to wait for it.

The next afternoon, Asuka and Lili were back at Lars hideout.

"Lili, Asuka! Finally the two of you are back" Xiayou greeted the couple with a jump and a hug.

The two arrivals laughed with their friend. "Xiayou, you won't believe this, but Asuka and I went to Disneyland yesterday" Lili told her friend in the same way excited girlfriends talked about their dates with their girl best friends.

"That's so unfair! We should all go there next time!"

"That's why the two of you took so long to get back here" Hwoarang came into the conversation, standing just a step away from Asuka's left.

"Well, you don't seem happy to see us back" Asuka told the guy.

"No, I wasn't happy at the time you two were gone. It was hell of bore here."

"Didn't you three get lectured on the missions assigned to us?" Lili asked.

"We did but that was only for some minutes and I actually fell asleep in it…then we have Xiayou's turn of a new leaf" Hwoarang gave Xiayou the look that she had to tell them, now.

Asuka and Lili looked at Xiayou. "What is he talking about, Xiao?"

The Chinese felt her veins rush anger upon Hwoarang, how could he force her to say it as quickly as they met. "I…I…" Xiayou couldn't continue at all, until Jin arrived as well and Xiayou couldn't tell it more. She had to swallow hard, she did her best to not look at Jin, but the guy felt her ignorance on him.

Jin looked at Xiayou, and then at the others.

"She was just about to tell us something" Lili explained to Jin, who asked her through inquiry of sight.

Hwoarang crossed his arms together and huffed. "Just tell it to them for her" he was referring for Jin to tell about the two of them.

"Oh" Jin said when he heard Hwoarang tell that. "Xiayou was meaning to tell you that we're together now" Jin said without a slow introduction or added explanation.

Lili and Asuka were both caught in surprise. Of course they were happy and excited, but the way it was said to them like that, just made it sound so dry.

"Wow, that's great…really, congratulations" Lili said first between the two of them.

"Yeah, I mean…..congratulations"Asuka said after Lili, smiling both at Jin and Xiayou who were standing close to each other.

Alisa appeared at the very hour of that scene and told everyone to come to the conference room now. Asuka and Lili walked behind the three, curiously eyeing Jin and Xiayou who were holding hands now. It felt a bit new, no, it was all new. They were just gone for three days and now it's like their teammates aren't their teammates anymore. It's not like they've lost their old teammates but it feels like they have new teammates now.

* * *

Up at the conference room, Lars was back to his laser pointing presentations on the projector. He is more detailed with the information now.

"There are three things we need to get in orded to put some peace forward us. These three things are not impossible to find, in fact, they're locations are well known. The first two pieces are a pair of green gems. They are useless to normal people, but for two special people, they can release a power needed to destroy the devil." Lars looks at Jin, as well as everyone else in the room.  
"One of the gems is a part of a rare collection of stones in China, while the other gem is at a museum in Korea."

The Alliance looked at each other, the places where the gems were are perfect for them. They have Hwoarang to vouch for Korea, and Xiayou and most likely Jin will come with her to China.

Lili raised her hand and Lars let her speak. "What's the third item? And where is it?"

Lars clicked on the next slide of the presentation, it showed a single picture. A picture of something that looked like a bullet. It was all silver and shining.

"That's a bullet, a bullet made of pure white gold and is the hardest to get. It is located in a private bank facility just at the center of Kyoto, Japan. It is currently owned by a big company that is willing to sell it for some million cash, but we're not buying something we've owned from the very start."

"So, you're saying that we're going to steal it from the bank? Not to brag but won't that make us criminals?" Lili said with a face that didn't like the idea at all.

"We own it as I've said earlier. The Mishima's owned that bullet until the current owners stole it when Jinpachi died. We are just going to take back what was once ours. We have to get the two gems first before we carry on with the bullet. You are fighters, and good ones too, but that bank is a highly guarded place, everyone needs to be involve in order to limit the dangers of getting the bullet."

The alliance nodded their heads and everyone stood up, fixed the conference back to the way it was before they entered and left the room together.

"What's the news about Steve?" Lili suddenly remembered to ask the other three beside Asuka.

"He texted me yesterday, he said he'd be here by tomorrow." Hwoarang answered her, looking like he was the only one who is in touch with Steve.

"I see, so what do we do now?" Lili was feeling the reel of wanting to start the scavenging as soon as today. The places were just near enough for them to go on separate ways, except the bullet.

"Why don't the three of us get the two gems, and the two of you will get the bullet" Jin suggested to the blonde.

"Asuka and I? That would be Ok, only if I hadn't heard about how dangerous it would be"

"The two of you won't be alone. Xiayou, Hwoarang and I will get the gems today, and once we come back, we'll help the two of you break in the bank and get the bullet." The others were well convinced about Jin's plan.

"I'll tell Lars about this, I'm sure he can book the three of you a fast ticket to the plane." Lili went away from the group, leaving them to wait for her at the living area.

"Tada, I was right about it" Lili waved three paper checks in her hand. "It's a premium airplane ticket, you can use it in any flight at any time." She handed each of the ticket to Hwoarang, Xiayou and Jin.

"Sweet" Hwoarang said as he stretched the paper check in his hands. It was rectangular, made of plastic and colored in pink and white. "Mind if I stay just a little longer at home before coming back here?"

"Hwoarang, you can stay home as long as you want once we finish everything. It's the best choice to make things fast now." Jin immediately told the guy, giving him an imperative look.

Hwoarang gave the guy an ugly smirk. "Fine." He said flatly.

Asuka and Lili made a quick goodbye to their teammates by the dock. The boat that's just been park an hour and half ago is now going to leave again.

"We'll be sure to get the gems quickly" Jin assured Lili, being the last one to ride the boat.

"With you in charge, I'm sure you will." Lili smiled at him, they exchanged nods and Jin jumped to the boat, fairly on its way to moving.

The noisy motors screech and shout out smoke, Asuka and Lili watched as the boat leaves their sight. They continue to wave hands and say goodbye.

"We just came back and now we're all separated again." Asuka said, placing her hands on her hips.

Lili remained quiet, she had a serious face that had a tinge of worry on it. Asuka examined this face of hers and placed her one hand on Lili's shoulder.

"Hey, you just said you trusted Jin, what's with the worried look?"

Lili had to sigh excessively before looking at Asuka and telling her her thoughts.

"When I went to Lars and told him we'd be getting the items as soon as now, he told me that it wasn't a good thing to rush things so quickly."

"Well, he probably just wants us to be careful. He must think that we're making the missions look so easy."

Lili chuckled. "Obnoxious little teens, he must be saying that right now" The blonde continued to chuckle. She felt silly, she was thinking so much and worrying for nothing. She was thankful, very thankful, that she had Asuka to cheer her up at times like this.  
It would seem like they're moods were always synchronized. When the other was sad, the other was sad too, but one of them was still cheerful enough to rub it to the other one. They were always there to cheer up one another.

* * *

At China, ten minutes before seven in the evening, Xiayou and Jin arrived at the Shanghai Airport. The first gem that was part of a rare collection of stones is being featured as a good keep. The collection is located at a jewelry factory. The factory treats the gem as a precious stone, but not that special to be locked in an ultra safe place. The factory had a storage separate for stones that cost a big amount when bought, the stones have their own sealed glass containers with red lasers that turn on alarms if one person forcefully opens it.

Xiayou and Jin acted as customers, and the factory was open to visiting customers, they had a dedicated room for them to wait and pick which stones they want from a computer.

"We will bring the stone here once you choose it or them." A woman entertained the two, wearing a silver and black formal suit. She was trying to create a humorous atmosphere that Jin and Xiayou was happy to go along with.

"Thank you, but we're only interested in one stone. A green gem, part of your rare collections." Jin told the woman.

"You must be talking about the mu gem."

"Moo gem?" Jin and Xiayou said, imitating the sound of a cow.

The woman gives them a polite laugh. "Yes, the mu gem, M-U, mu gem"

"Ah" Xiayou said, finally getting the name, but still not understanding its meaning.

"I will go and get it now. Please wait here" The woman bows her head and leaves Xiayou and Jin inside the airconditioned, red carepeted room. There were chairs covered in black leather, and shaped in open eggs available to be sat on. Xiayou rested in one of them, Jin remained standing. He had his cellphone to his ear and was talking to someone. When his call was finished, he took a sit beside Xiayou.

"Are we going to buy the gem?" Xiayou asked Jin, oblivious to what they're plan is.

"Absolutely. No."

"Why did we have to show ourselves here then? Can't we just take it from the storage?"

Jin stared at the camera eyeing them from the ceiling. Xiayou realized it and tried to speak more normally. She said her question again, this time her voice was lower and her face had a neutral expression.

"When we get the stone, we take it to the counter and spray this on them" Jin took out a small bottle from his pants pocket. It was a tiny bottle, just fitting inside his one hand. Xiayou couldn't stare at it for too much, afraid they'd look suspicious in the cameras.

"What is that?" Xiayou asked Jin, still fixed in looking at the tiny bottle.

"It's filled with the air that they use in hospitals to make patients get sleepy."

"Jin, even if we made them fall asleep and leave with the gem, they'll look for us once they wake up. They know our faces."

Jin didn't answer Xiayou, he saw the doorknob of the room move. The woman comes in with a little black suitcase, embossed in the lid was the emblem of the factory.

"I'm sorry to make you wait for so long. Please check if this is the gem you are looking for." The woman opens the suitcase with a digital password. Smoke comes out of the suitcase while she turned it around to show it to her customers.

Jin and Xiayou stared at the gem, they had a copy of its picture in their cellphones to compare from. The woman started to tell some things about the gem, hoping it would help them in knowing if the gem was what they were looking for.

Jin and Xiayou exchanged glances, they've compared enough, and it was sure that this was the gem.

"Yes, this is it. We'd like to take it from here." Jin told the woman, who was happy to close the suitcase and take them to the counter. Xiayou walked closely to Jin, she still didn't know the whole plan but she trusted that Jin wouldn't fail them.

When they reached the cashier, a big wide glass table at the corner of the factory entrance, Jin came nearer to Xiayou, he bent his head down and whispered to her.

"Cover your mouth and nose" Xiayou felt scared and quickly did it. Jin opened the bottle from his pocket. Nothing was happening, Xiayou thought. There was no weird smell or color in the air, and she could still see that everyone was still wide awake. Jin began to tug her from the hips and guide her to the cashier. The woman had now reached the cashier, handing the suitcase to the payment clerk. Xiayou wondered if anyone thought she was weird with having her hand so pressed on her mouth and nose. She looked at Jin, he was also covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Xiayou next noticed that Jin was starting to count with his fingers on the side. She saw him raise one finger, then two fingers, then everyone inside the factory fell unconscious on the ground.

Jin placed the lid back on the tiny bottle. Xiayou wanted to take her hands off now but she was afraid that maybe the air would still make her sleep too. She waited for Jin to take off his handkerchief, but he just signaled her to take the suitcase and run for it. Xiayou carried the suitcase in her one hand while her other still held on to her mouth. They run to the entrance doors of the factory, Jin opened the gates for them and once they got out, the doors metal doors went down automatically. Xiayou now had the chance to breathe again, and she breathed as if she was just drowned in the water.

Jin breathed too, but he was more composed, he had a better lung for suppressing air on a long time basis. He looked at Xiayou, coughing a bit, she must've have got a bit of the bad air. The guy moved behind Xiayou and helped her cough better by rubbing her back.

"Are we going to be fine just like that?" Xiayou asked, more worried about what they did rather than her condition.

"I'll go back inside, reset the video memory for today and we'll leave right away."

"Wait, what if they wake up while you're still inside? I'm coming back with you."

Jin moved from behind Xiayou to in front of her. He placed his one hand on her arm.

"Xiao, go with the gem as far away from here. I'll call you when I'm done." The Chinese bit her lip, she had to trust Jin. She didn't want to but he wanted her to. She needed to make sure that the gem is taken and if Jin is sure he can do it, then he can.

Xiayou gave Jin a hesitant nod. She turned around and walked a few paces. She could hear Jin opening the metal doors again.

"Be careful" Xiayou shouted back at Jin. The guy heard her and got distracted for that while.

"I will." Jin answered her. He continued to lift the metal doors. Xiayou stayed in her position. She wiggled and shakes around until she couldn't help it anymore. She ran back to Jin and jumped on him, embracing him.

"Xiao" Jin said with a surprised expression.

"I can't help it, I'm sorry I'm so clingy." Xiayou said in a hurried voice. She went away from Jin and looked at him straight in the eye. "If you get in trouble, I just want to admit it that I love you."

Jin's eyes went wide, he almost let go of the metal doors that was hardly open. "Don't worry. They won't wake up for another twelve hours, and even if they do, they won't know who I am. The drug causes lapse amnesia, they won't remember the events of the past twelve hours before they fell asleep."

Xiayou felt a bit more relived to hear that, but then she felt her heart pounding again. She just said something so random and dramatic and now she can't take it back. She blushed as she looked at Jin. The other one still looked surprised, but he managed to give a small smile.

"Take care while you leave Xiao." Jin said. He started to walk closer to Xiayou. He lifted her chin and lowered his head, making their lips meet gently. "I wound't want you to get in trouble."

* * *

One gem is secured to be brought back now. Hwoarang was alone on his way to Korea, he searched about the museum he has to go to, and it irritated him that he got the wrong flight. He took a plane to Seoul, which is three hours away from Busan, the city where the Korean Museum is located in.

Hwoarang arrived in soul by the same time of the evening that Jin and Xiayou arrived on China. He sipped the humid air of his motherland and wished to stay there longer, but he couldn't do that thanks to the almighty Jin Kazama.

Hwoarang started to walk his way to the bus stations leading the fast transits lane at the center of Seoul. The fast transits were the fastest trains that could take you to Busan. Busan is an often times overlooked city in Korea, as beautiful as Seoul is, it has become more like Tokyo, filled with population and pollution. Busan is like Kyoto, reserved, classical and still stays with the traditional. It isn't a province, but it's as peaceful as one.

Hwoarang rides the eight pm fast transit, he sits down at the very back of the bus, wanting to get some sleep at the next three hours that he'll be travelling. He dozes off just seconds before the bus leaves the terminal. When he woke up again, he felt someone looking at him from behind, or maybe from the front, or the right, or the left, actually maybe it wasn't someone inside the bus, but he was sure he can feel eyes staring at him.

I must be going crazy. He said, receiving a slap in the face from his own hand. The bus arrives at Busan in another fifteen minutes, and even outside the bus, Hwoarang feels like he's being watched. It was a sad thing that he felt this lurking feeling all the time, because the tremendously beautiful sight of Busan wasn't appreaciated by him. The small city boomed with lights in the night and the famous suspension bridge of Gwangan or Diamond Bridge added more splendor to the nightscape.

Hwoarang went down the forest part of Busan, trying to reach the museum by foot. One reason is because the museum is really in the middle of the forestry and the other reason is that he thinks he can catch his stalker of somewhat if he stays focused in the woods. He knew Busan, and Korea more than anyone, and as long as he plays his cards right, he's predator will be his prey.

Quiet and quietness more. Hwoarang listened intently and he smiled when he heard a cracking in the trees. Twigs. Hwoarang stated mentally. They're small and harmless but step on them while you're hiding from someone and they'll lead your perpetrator right to you. Hwoarang walked quietly, but fast, like a ninja. He was fast enough that wherever he's predator was, he wouldn't see Hwoarang in his position anymore.

The auburn head went to the deep of the forest, and saw a silhouette, so close for him to reach now. It was still dark and the trees were fat and big, blocking the person. Hwoarang walks closer, and he begins to stretch his hand, he didn't feel anything, so he stretched it more, but he soon realized that the person wasn't there anymore. Hwoarang scanned the forest, he kept trying to hear anymore sounds but all that's left to hear were birds chirping and the night wind blowing.

He goes in a state of shock when his phone suddenly rings. He picks it up quickly, answering it without looking who the caller is.

"Hwoarang" The voice came in, it was Jin. Hwoarang sighed in relief, he went out of the forest and stood at the pavement road at the middle. The streetlights were all opened now and the museum can already be seen down the road.

"Hey" He answered, his voice still sounding a bit afraid. He's head still looked around the forest.

"We got the gem, we're on our way back now. How are you doing?"

"I just got here…it was a long trip. I'll be back by dawn." Hwoarang wanted to tell Jin about the person following him, but he double thought about it. He didn't say anything more, he figured he should just tell it when they all get back to Japan.

"Ok" Jin hangs up the call.

Hwoarang went on to the museum, and until he entered the building, he never felt the stare anymore. Whoever was following him, it must have left now.

Hwoarang entered the museum, which is actually closed now. He was able to get in through a window that he picklocked. Once inside, he stayed at a corner and examined the traps inside. He was a fighter, not a spy, so he had to think of a good plan on how to get the gem and not be seen on footage and be caught in any of the traps.

His eyes went wide when he heard footsteps. He closed his hands into a fist and moved his head left to right, up and down. A green light hits his face, he covered himself, thinking it was an attack, but he realized that the green light was a pointer, the same as what Lars uses in his presentations, only bigger and brighter.

The green light travesl inside the museum, Hwoarang is scared to follow it, he doesn't know who's controlling it and where it will bring him. The light continues to move and when it sees that Hwoarang is still not following him, it goes back and glares the Auburn head. Hwoarang covers his eyes and shouts that he'll follow it. The green light then moves again and Hwoarang carefully copies the exact spots it touches, seeing that the light knew its way into the traps of the museum.

He gets directed by the light into the part of the gem. It was sited at a red cushion, trapped in a tube and surrounded by rope barricades. The green light scatters and shows all the red lasers in the room, they were arranged horizontally to the walls, from the ceiling to the floor. The gaps between the laser lines were small, but they were big enough to be crossed by an adult. Hwoarang was more hesitant now, if this is only an illusion or trick that the green light controller is doing to him, he might get caught or worse. The green light disappears and Hwoarang is left with more chaos. He tries to move his feet and tries so hard to remember the pattern of the lasers. Wether they were true or fake, at least he had a basis. He was partially succeeding it when the green light appears again, and he falls on his feet. The first thing he thought was this is it, I'm dead. But there was nothing, only the green light. Hwoarang stared at it. The green light went away and landed at a signage above the emergency light, suspended in the wall.

The yellow light blinked many times, a sign that all electricity even those of the emergency light was gone. Hwoarang took this opportunity, he ran to the tube of the gem, but even without traps he was now problemed on how to get the gem out of the tube. He searched for the green light, thinking it would help him again, but it was nowhere to be found.

Hwoarang frowned and did what he think was the best, he climbed the ceiling of the museum from a ceiling vent at the end of the spacious black lit room. Once he got inside the vents, he looked for the lid of the tube, opened it above and went down to get the gem.

* * *

Dawn came and even when Hwoarang was back at Lars Hideout, he still thought about the person who was following him. There was no evidence that the person he saw in the forest and the person who was controlling the green light in the museum was the same, but he felt like they were.

He planned to tell it to the others, but other important things always keep getting in the way.


	31. Chapter 31

**** A/N: This chapter right here is a bit dangerous to read without preparing yourselves. Read between the lines from the very start and slowly accept everything.****

****DaMastah101:**** You and your girlfriend have the best hobby of reading something together. Haha, Mr. Kazama's ramblings were too many I couldn't write it anymore XD and believe it or not but what does IC stand for? I'm really a foreigner to abbreviations like that XD and thumbs up for pointing out Hwoarang's follower as his next love interest. I will give a spoiler that yes that is true. It was a girl that was following him and we get to know who she is in the next chapter.

* * *

**31) Three.**

* * *

Asuka and Lili enjoyed another half day of being alone together, and they both thanked heavens for this wonderful extension of time. They were still above each others body, just smiling and talking petty topics and doing little arguments. They asked each other some questions they didn't know about the other yet or better, no other soul knew yet. You'd love to hear them too, they're secrets that no one knows. Well, you can't. Those secrets are just theirs. They tell it only to one another and that's the way it'll be.

But one thing you are permitted to know is that they're secrets are really just about one another too.

Asuka rested her head on Lili's lap, trying to get some sleep on the living room sofa. Lili was already asleep, her blonde hair was cascading on Asuka's face. It smelled like raspberry, fresh and sweet. Asuka loved its smell, but she hated the feeling of it on her skin. The ends of Lili's hair were tingling Asuka, and at one point she gives up all hope of falling asleep. She sits next to Lili, and stares directly for a while, then she moves Lili's head to rest on her shoulder. The two of them were waiting for Xiayou and Jin, they just called that they're on their way home, and Lili insisted that she and Asuka should welcome them back.

"And now you just went and slept on me" Asuka complained to the air. She looked at Lili, all deep in sleep. She wasn't snoring or talking or doing any kind of bad sleeping habits. She was just sleeping, her chest waved up and down and her lips were partly open.

Asuka smiled, she loved looking at Lili sleep. It made her look more cute and beautiful, she always said to herself. She reached for Lili's hand and enveloped her hand on it, she waited for Xiayou and Jin for another more hour, and she didn't get to sleep although she did feel very sleepy. When the two got inside the living room, they apologized to Asuka.

"Asuka, I'm sorry, you shouldn't have waited for us." Xiayou told the girl, helping her put Lili on her back.

"Don't apologize to me, Lili was the one who really wanted to wait for the two of you."

"I know, I'll apologize to her once she wakes up."

Jin was carrying the suitcase of the gem now, he looked at Lili, tightly asleep while Asuka carried her in her back.

"She still must be tired from being sick." Jin said.

"Nah, it's because of Disney. Well, I better get us up now." Asuka walked off but Xiayou called to her.

"Wait, Asuka, what about the gem?" Xiayou pointed at the suitcase that Jin was carrying.

"Ah" Asuka wondered if she should take it, but she had Lili on her back. "Just let Jin hold on to it."

Asuka leaves the living room and climbs the stairs to the second floor. She opens the bedroom the two of them were just playing around in the afternoon. The room was big, spacious and colored in orange. The wall at the right was a floor to ceiling window with a thick red curtain. The floor was carpeted in mud green and the bed, orange too, was all messed up. The covers were crunched in every direction and the pillows were lying everywhere. The room was still cold from having left the aircon on.

Asuka drags her sleepy body to the bed, she slips Lili down before she takes all the pillows from the floor, tosses it in the bed and then she goes to turn off the lights. The room got all black and she just tossed herself next to Lili. At the middle of her sleep, Asuka squeezed closer to Lili, and reached for the blonde's body. She tries to pull Lili closer to her, but there were too many pillows between them. Asuka half wakes up and throws all the pillow back to the floor. She scoots down the closest she can to Lili and begins to embrace her in the waist. She heard Lili moan, she hugged too tightly. Asuka loosened up a bit and tried to talk.

"How come you're not hugging me anymore?" She asked Lili.

"What do you mean?" Miraculously, Lili answered her. Now Asuka felt bad, she must've woken Lili up with all her fuss. She buried her head on Lili's hair and neck. Lili could feel the vibration of Asuka's lips moving on her neck, but she couldn't understand one thing that her girlfriend was talking about.

"Asuka, I… I can't" Lili tried to talk but her yawning was getting on the way. "I …can't understand you" She got to finish what she wanted to say.

Asuka rose up from Lili's hair and talked clearly now, not loud, but soft and just audible between them. "You used to hug me always when we slept in the same bed. You haven't been doing it for a while now."

Lili shifted her head to Asuka, they're faces were very close to each other. "I used to do that just so I can feel close to you. I guess I lost that feeling when we started to date."

Asuka frowned. "Well that's a very bad timming for you to lose that feeling. I loved it when you hugged me. I sometimes wanted to hug you back."

"You did once. When I just came back from Monaco."

Asuka shaked her head. "Come on, you know…a return hug without you having to tell me."

Lili looked at the ceiling. "I remember you hugging me first, at the Revers Tournament. You were helping me get to sleep because of my jet lag."

Asuka smiled. "Yeah, I'm happy I did that." Asuka closed her eyes, she felt happy after remembering that and she felt happier now that Lili was embracing her back at the bed. She was about to fall asleep when she heard Lili call her name again.

Her brown eyes open and she sees Lili looking at her. "What?" She asks the blonde with a giggle.

"You know, I once had a dream about you" Lili told her, excitement evident in her eyes.

"Really? What was I doing there?" Asuka's nerves went back on again, her sleep can wait. She wanted to hear this story.

"You were mischievous. You wore a black hoodie and you kept bugging me." Asuka laughed, she couldn't imagine herself in such an attitude.

"You drew something in the rain moist of the window, at a train. It was an umbrella, with our names under it."

Asuka almost sat up from the bed. "No way, that's the couple umbrella, that's amazing, when did you have that dream?"

"That very night I asked you to hug me back. That was the first time I admitted that I love you. You told me that I love you."

Asuka pointed her index finger at herself. "I told you? In that dream? From way back?"

Lili laughed as she nodded her head.

"Wow, I should meet the Asuka in your dream, she's awesome."

"Yes, she is, and you know what, she's my first kiss"

Asuka looked sour now. "Well then I don't want to meet her anymore. I feel jealous now."

Lili smiled at Asuka and pulled her down back to her pillows. She held Asuka's face on either side. "Why would you be jealous? She only has my first, but you'll have my forever." Lili kisses Asuka, thirstingly and fast. Asuka kisses her back, she places her hand behind Lili's neck, helping her deepen the kiss.

Their heads kept tilting one side to the other and they're bodies were rubbing against another. The sheets were swipping off the bed and the pillows were becoming flatter by the second. Asuka rolled over, getting above Lili and they continued to kiss after a brief moment of air catching. It's been uncountable times now, how much Asuka's the one unclasping Lili's bra and Lili is the one taking off Asuka's shirt, but they never get tired of it. They were always excited for the next time it'll happen again. They wanted each other so much. They we're addicted to each other's love.

* * *

Lili and Asuka joined the other three alliance members for a late breakfast at eleven am. They weren't having a peaceful breakfast at all, everyone was talking and munching at the same time.

Xiayou didn't forget to give her apology to Lili for waiting for them last night.

"It's not a big deal Xiayou, and I wasn't even able to do what I wanted, Asuka was the one who welcomed you guys back"

"That's right, I also thanked her last night."

Hwoarang was listening in the conversation, he was feeling to tell about his follower in the forest at Busan. He wanted to tell about it but the others kept changing topic to topic and he just lost interest along the way. Maybe it isn't really important, he convinced himself.

Asuka was another one in the table who was thinking so much while the others chatted. She had a dream last night – no, it was a nightmare. Asuka washed her face in the bathroom as soon as she woke up. She didn't like the dream, not at all. It was horrifying and she prayed over and over that it won't happen. But it couldn't, it was impossible. She dreamed about that train ride, and in her dream –nightmare, she never got to save Lili. She didn't even get to see her body anymore. She just disappeared into the darkness, and she was left screaming for her name.

Asuka didn't realize that she was repeating the dream all over again in her head. Lili bumped her in the hand, asking her what she would like to drink.

"What are you drinking?" Asuka asked back to Lili.

"Hot Choco, as always." Lili answered her, smiling brightly.

"I'll have the same." Asuka looked at Lili leave her seat and go to the kitchen. She sighed, long and deep that Xiayou asked her if there was a problem. Asuka felt like telling it, her nightmare, but the moment she tried to take out the words, he tongue tied.  
She couldn't say it, afraid of it. She felt like if she said it, it'll come true. Oh God. She didn't want it to come true.

"Nothing" Asuka answered the closed her eyes and cursed herself. _Stop thinking about the dream – nightmare_ _already!_

Lili came back and handed Asuka a white mug. "Be careful it's hot" the girl told Asuka while helping her hold the hot mug. Asuka placed the mug down the table, she couldn't stop herself from just looking at Lili. She watched her move and talk and later on, Lili catched her.

The two of them were at the room now, getting ready to go down and plan the next mission with the others. Lili has been meaning to ask Asuka since awhile ago, but she examined the ebony first, she waited if Asuka would stop looking at her, but she didn't.

"What is it?" Lili finally took up the courage of asking Asuka. She was used to having Asuka look at her, but it seemed different today. What is different? Lili tried to see it, she looked back at Asuka and she was sure, that isn't the look she gives to me always. There's something odd about it, that wasn't there before.

Asuka shaked her head. "You have choco on your mouth" Asuka nearly choked on her words as she said it.

Lili raised her an eyebrow. She took a tissue to her mouth and wiped it. "Ok, Asuka, but you're still looking at me."

"I always look at you" Asuka defended herself, cracking a small – totally noticeable – fake smile.

"Not like now, you look….scared." Lili bit her lips as she said it. There were few, very few times that Asuka looked scared. Lili's most clear memory of Asuka being scared was when she saved her from almost going down the rails with the train. The least expressions you see in a person makes it more memorable. Asuka's scared expression, Lili remembers it the most.

Asuka's eyes opened big. "I am." She admitted heavily. She opened her hands and swinged it in the air, trying to throw away her excessive nervousness and paranoia.

Lili exhaled, she couldn't believe it. "What would you be scared of?"

Asuka stared long at Lili, she swallowed hard before she can say it. "I'm scared of losing you. I had a dream – a nightmare. I couldn't save you from the train and you just disappeared."

"Asuka that was a dream." Lili placed her hands on Asuka's shoulder. "Here in reality, you did save me, and I didn't disappear."

"I know, but did you ever experience having a nightmare? It felt so real Lili, like it was really happening and its haunting me even after I woke up."

Lili could see it, it wasn't fear in Asuka's expression. It was haunted. She felt it too, the moment she heard such a dream. Lili believed in dreams, ever since her dream about Asuka she believed that dreams do come true. But aren't nightmares dreams too? Lili slowly stretched her arms, circled it around Asuka and took the girl into a tight embrace. She kissed Asuka in the head, calming Asuka and herself.

"Asuka as long as it's in my power, I won't leave you."

Lili could feel her dress being crumpled by Asuka's clutch. "I know that, I'm such a kid for being so affected of a dream. It's unfair you know? You dream about a train and it's such a good dream and I dream about the same thing but it's a wreck."

The two of them managed to laugh now, it was still mixed with some fear but at least now they both felt better. Asuka had to promise herself to stop thinking about it already and Lili – unbeknownst to Asuka- wanted to do the same.

* * *

By the time that Asuka and Lili felt ready about going to the conference room, Hwoarang had handed Jin the gem he got from Korea. Jin took it and placed it at the suitcase where the gem from China is. The Conference room was packed now and even Steve has arrived, he was standing beside the last chair of the table and wasn't talking with anyone. Lars could see him from the front.

Asuka and Lili entered the room, Lili's eyes saw Steve and she made her way to him.

"I'm glad you're back, were you able to convince Lee?" Lili asked the boxer.

Steve shaked his head. "He's a busy guy. I had a schedule to talk to him today, but I got news that you guys were going to do a big mission. I figured you'd need my help."

"You're right. Thanks for coming, convincing Lee can wait."

Steves nodded. "So we're breaking in a bank at Kyoto"

"Asuka and I are, you guys are supposed to help in the background."

Steve tilted his head to the left. "I see"

When everyone had settled to their seats, Lars made Alisa turn the lights off. The projector lighted and showed a floor plan of the bank in Kyoto. An area at the far right of the floor plan was circled in red.

"That's where the bullet is placed. It's a password locked system room, they use numerical, alphabetical and ASCII codes as password. We only need someone to reach that room and Alisa will be able to decode the password and send it to this machine" Lars takes out a small beeper looking gadget. It was colored black and wrapped in a gray bag fit to be worn as a bracelet.

"The person will type the password, take the bullet from its case and go out of the bank as fast as possible"

"What about the guards? The CCTV's?"

"Alisa has set up a system sniper at a van nearby the bank. It will enable you to have full control of their systems without them knowing it. Using the sniper, three of you will hack into their video files, repeat the same video of yesterday and loop it as many times needed until the bullet is taken. They will see no one coming in from their cameras. Have you decided who's going in to take the bullet?"

Asuka and Lili raises their hands. Lars gives a nonchalant expression but his eyes move slightly to the others. "You two will enter the building and act as depositors to the bank. Another one of your Alliance will dress up as a janitor and hide at that room." Lars points he's laser remote at a small room in the floor plan, it was just two turns to the left from the entrance.

"That's the janitors room, the person acting as the janitor will carry clothes of employees in a garbage bin. Since Asuka and Lili will be the persons to get the bullet, then they're going to be given the uniforms of password holder employees. Alisa can make the clothes in minutes."

"So we're going to change into those uniforms inside the janitor's room...why don't we just wear them before we go inside?" Lili asked, cutting in while Lars was still talking.

"The bank has an ID entrance system for their password employees. If you enter the bank as depositors, you wouldn't need an ID. It's less of a trouble and we won't have to worry of leaving any records on them."

Everyone is quite convinced of the plan now. Lars went on to ask who will be taking the role of this and that. Asuka and Lili were going to be the password holders, Hwoarang, Steve and Jin we're the ones in charge of the system sniper and Xiayou's going to be the Janitor. Lars and Alisa will help them from the hideout, having direct contact with the van that is all ready near the Kyoto bank.

* * *

The Alliance arrives at the van located near the Kyoto bank. The van was small and colored in white, in front of it was the driving area and behind it was a small narrow compartment filled with three computers and wires varying in size and colors. The sniper was taped at the ceiling of the van, it was a black box that had three red lights blinking at its right side. Its wire was connected to the three computers. The three guys went inside the van and chose which computer they'd be in. Jin was at the middle, Hwoarang was at the right and Steve was on the left. Xiayou got her Janitor costume from the side of the van and wore it above her Chinese fighting dress. She placed the blue gloves on her hands and smiled at Asuka and Lili.

"Wow, I feel kind of funny for liking this janitor costume" Xiayou exclaimed in a thrilled voice while looking at the white baggy whole dress uniform with a long zipper at the middle and partnered with red tall plastic boots.

Asuka and Lili had to go to a nearby public restroom to get changed into formal dresses.  
They both wore white long sleeved blouses and tight black slacks, a good choice of clothes to look like professional business women.

Xiayou was the first one to leave the group, carrying a green garbage can as a props. The garbage can was square and a bit tall, it looked the same as the one in the banks, but it didn't had trash inside. The garbage can that Xiayou had successfully entered into the bank had the clothes that Asuka and Lili needed inside the bank.

The two girls went to the bank right after Xiayou. As soon as Asuka and Lili entered the bank, the three guys turned on the sniper. Now all the CCTV's are shut down and the only thing the security personel are seeing in their screens are looped videos of their past files.

The two girls walked straight then they turned left two times until they reached the Janitor room and quietly knocked on it. They looked around as they waited for Xiayou to open the door. Asuka and Lili hurried inside when the door opened. Few minutes later they both re-emerge from the room, now clad in gray slack and polo with a white blazer and an ID hanging at the left pocket. Asuka and Lili walked close to each other, as normal and confident looking as they can. Some guards would walk by them, but none put any suspicion on the two girls perfectly dressed like the other password holders. The strict areas of the bank were like public playgrounds to Asuka and Lili, all they needed was their clothes to get by the secutiry. They have to thank the banks way of putting different guards every day in one place and having more than a thousand employees, because even the security wasn't familiar with all the banks employees. Wether Asuka and Lili were a part of the passwords team or not, the securities wouldn't know the difference.

When they reached the room of the bullet, it was closed with a glass door. At the side of the door, there was a machine that looked like a calculator and a telephone at the same time. Asuka looked at her wrist, she checked the beeper gadget they got from Alisa and saw that the android had sent her the first password they needed. Asuka typed in the password indicated at the screen of her gadget. The machine talks and welcomes the employees, its buttons light up in yellow before the glass door comes up and leaves the room open to be entered.

Lili and Asuka enters the room and sees the bullet lying at a glass encasement. The bullet was small and shining, and the glass encasement was smoking as if it was hard ice. Down the pole where the glass encasement was supported, another calculator-telephone looking machine was located.

Asuka clicked on the only button of the beeper at the middle, and another password came right away. Lili presented to type in the password this time. When all the texts have been encoded, the glass case opens itself. The two girls smile and wonder who takes the bullet.

"Come on, you take it. You're more careful with stuff than I am" Asuka told her blonde girlfriend. Lili looked hesitant to do it but she still did. She felt happy as she slowly reaches for the bullet.

Her mind was already celebrating, her exotically messed up plan actually had a chance to be fulfilled now. If they get this, they can finish the goal of their alliance, they can bring down the devil family and she can get back all her wealth, this was it.

* * *

But, maybe that's not what's written for their future at all.

Lili's hand touched the bullet, and she could feel its weight on her fingers. For a small thing it weighted much and it was so cold, it's cold felt like it was burning Lili's finger, but she didn't mind it, she took the bullet all the way out of the glass encasement.

And then, all the alarms started to ring.

Red circular lights came out at the top of the walls bathing the hallways in scarlet color. Asuka and Lili run as fast as they could to get out of the room. They got out in the neck of time, the glass door shuttered down again and the calculator-telephone machine started to talk about intruders are here. Asuka and Lili looked around the place, they could see dozens of shadows coming near them from the hallway intersections. The security is on their way.

They ran to the right direction, and for a while no one hasn't caught up to them yet. Lili took out some earphones out of her pocket and placed it on her ears. She turned it on and started to speak.

"Hello, Lili" The person from the other line spoke immediately, it was Jin, talking to her from the van.

An hour ago, while they were still travelling to Kyoto by the boat, Lili handed one pair of her earphones to Jin, she told him that it was for emergency purposes. If something went wrong inside, she needed to have the fastest direct way of contacting someone from the outside. She chose Jin, because she trusted that Jin could help them the most.

"The alarms went on, we're being chased by the guards now. Jin I need you to give us instructions to the fastest way out of here." Amidst her fast running with Asuka on the hallways, Lili was still talking calmly but firm to Jin. She trusted Jin could help them.

"Got it. I can see you two from the camera here. There's a black door, two blocks ahead of you, enter there and go through the next room by a shared door at the left side of the room."

"Ok" Lili pulled Asuka to her. "I know where to go, just follow me as fast as you can"

Asuka nodded her head, she looked at their back and saw four guards were already on them. Lili tugged Asuka in the back.

"Don't mind them" She told the ebony.

They continued to run straight until they reached the door that Jin was talking about. Lili and Asuka entered it quickly and locked the door, they went through the shared door and found themselves in a new hallway.

Lili tapped on her earphone again. "Jin, we're at a hallway, where do we go now?"

Lili could see that another pair of guards were on their way at that hallway. "The fire exit is at the end of that hallway. I' m making Steve and Hwoarang drive the van to the exit door at the back. Hurry and we'll wait for you there."

Lili took Asuka's wrist and drag them to the fire exit at the end of the hallway. It was a red two door exit. They pulled one of the doors and locked it again when they got inside. The fire exit was a long narrow area. It had fluorescent lights sparking at the side of the walls. It was very long that they couldn't even see the end from where they stood. Asuka and Lili held hands as they walked their first steps, but they suddenly jumped on different directions when something hot tried to zap them. They realized that lasers were inside the exit. The bank must've been ready that they'll go through the exits.

Asuka and Lili stood up carefully, they looked at each other, and then they nodded and began to run as fast as they could.

Inside the van, Jin was the only one in charge of the computers now, Hwoarang and Steve were making ways to get the car parked at the fire exit. The car stopped moving and it took another few minutes before the back door of the van opens. Xiayou see's Jin alone at the back.

"Jin, what's happening? Why did you need to park here?" Xiayou went up the van and closed the door, it was dangerous if someone saw them. She looked tense and she was sweating. She had to run herself because of fear of the alarms throughtout the whole bank. She just returned to the van when Hwoarang just told her to go back to the bank and look for where the fire exit was. Steve went up to the front and took on the driving, Hwoarang accompanied him if ever they had to fight someone.

Xiayou thanked God that no one was paying attention outside, the guards were all busy hunting Asuka and Lili inside the bank. The bank looked like a military base outside, the gates were made of barb wires and almost everything had lasers and electric zappers.  
Hwoarang opened the back of the van and he looked worried himself.

"What is taking them so long?" Hwoarang complained to Jin, knowing that he had the contact to the two girls. Jin didn't answet anything, but once he did, Hwoarang nor Xiayou didn't like what they heard.

Minutes ago back to Asuka and Lili running fast inside the fire exit, they still felt really far from the exit, but it felt like they could do it now, the lasers had stopped zapping them and they were as fast as they could run.

Lili heard her earphone twitch, she clicked on the accept call and heard Jin's voice.

"I can see that you're on your way out now."

"Yes, we can make it, thank you for helping us." Lili waited for Jin to answer but there was a long silence at the other end. She thought that he'd hung up now, but after a few seconds Jin started to talk again.

"Lili, you're holding the bullet now aren't you?"

"Yes, its safe with me, we'll be able to bring it out"

"Yes, I'm sure of that…but I'm not sure about you."

Lili's eye's move in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asks with a tone of naiveté. She felt her knees starting to weaken, she was slowly stopping to run. She couldn't believe it, was Jin actually betraying her? Them?

"Now don't look so surprised there Lili, go on and run. We wouldn't want your dear Asuka to notice that something's wrong." Lili's world crumbled down. He was betraying her, all of them. She wanted to shout now, but she couldn't. She was afraid of what Jin would do. Instead, she started to run again, but she was still running slowly. She couldn't put her energy to her feet. She felt terrified and crushed. She trusted Jin so much.

"What do you want?" Lili asks Jin, her voice shaking in anger.

Jin gives her an evil chuckle from the other line. "Lili, let me fill your last minutes in earth with a grand explanation of my plans from the very start. I already put suspicion on your group when we met at that resort in Iwaki. I hired some people to watch on you guys and the moment I realized that you were an Alliance who wanted to put me down, I wanted to put you down. But then I thought, there was a better plan. I'd let you guys take me, and I'll monitor how you really work. And guess what? I couldn't stop laughing inside. You were just a bunch of ambitious players. Good fighters but not meant to bring down evil. It was hilarious how you guys kept planning, not knowing that in the end nothing of your plans will work."

"Why'd you have to stay so long then? Why didn't you just take us all down in that moment, why wait for so long Jin?"

Jin laughs again from the other line, this time it was more profound. "I did try to bring you down as fast as I can. Remember the train Lili? Did you honestly think that that was only an accident? For a train to just get spliced in half without a sound by debris from the ground?"

Lili bit her lip, it was overbearing. The person she had trusted until now was actually planning to kill her from the start. "So Asuka was right, it was your fault."

"I was able to know that you played the piano so well, I actually put that organ there so you'd enjoy yourself before you die. If I knew that Asuka would be there to save you, I had planned things better."

Lili was slightly turning to tears now. "Why me? Why are you so fixated in killing me?"

"Because Lili, from the short time I was there with all of you, I realized something. You were the only one who kept that Alliance alive. Asuka is simply a girlfriend who'd support you all the way, Hworang was just there for the adventure and Xiayou's just a gullible, over optimistic friend who'd have no other happiness but to help you get me."

Lili was angry now, so angry. How could he say all of those things like he didn't care about anyone at all? He was a devil, Lili couldn't think of any other description about him.

"You should've just stabbed me right in front of them all, they'll discover who you really are anyways, why try to hide it?"

Jin's evil laugh turns into a maniacal one. If Lili could see him now, she would see all the dark aura coming out of him. "That is the point Lili, no one will know that I betrayed them. But you."

Lili's teeth grinned. "Even if you kill me Jin, they can still stop you. Lars is still there, Asuka and the others will still be there. You don't trust that they can bring you down but I do. Even if I had to come out of my grave or help them as a ghost, I will."

"No, Lili they can't. I know they will still try to fight, for I have seen how stubborn they can be. But haven't you realized something Lili? Hasn't it occurred to your mind yet, why I waited until this time to kill you again?"

Lili's mind twitched. She knew the reason. Jin's plan – if only not meant for he's evil deeds – is a remarkable plan.

"Lars." Lili said alone. "You said we can get his help, but all this time, you just knew that he knows how to bring you down. You wanted to stop him and us."

"Yes, yes Lili. I always liked that smart part of you. Now, do you know how the story unfolds? You take the last thing needed in the list. If you want to save Asuka right now, you will give her that bullet, and I promise you that I will not kill her." Lili's heart fell. She wanted to cry now but she couldn't. Asuka would notice it, she was already noticing it. Asuka was slowing down from running, she was looking at Lili and Lili couldn't look back at her now.

"Once I get a hold of that bullet – nothing will be left for them to fight against me. Now Lili, tell me, would you rather that I kill you there, and make everyone think that you're a brave martyr leader who died for the sake of her mission. Or will you try to come out, and watch me kill everyone you love right in front of you?"

Asuka had stopped running now, she was calling Lili, the lasers are back now and behind her, Lili could feel the zapping coming near her. She couldn't hear anything from the outside. Her earphones buzzed with electronic noise, she knows that Jin is still waiting for her answer. Asuka was worried about her, she was already running back to her, but Lili knew she wasn't going to die – not just yet.

"Thank you Jin." She said in a voice that had no anger now. It was soft and natural, like the words came from the bottom of her heart.

Jin wanted to laugh but he couldn't, it bewildered him. "What sane person would thank her killer, Lili?"

Lili shaked her head. "I'm thankful because I know I won't die here to give you what you want….I'll die here, to save Asuka." Lili's feet immediately started to run, Asuka could see her tears flowing down.

"Lili, what's wrong?" Asuka got a hold of Lili's hand, she tried to wipe Lili's tears, but Lili didn't answer her anything, she took the bullet from her pocket and loaded it in Asuka's pocket. She can hear Asuka asking her over and over again, what was wrong.

Lili couldn't bare it anymore, she stopped Asuka's hand from clearing her face from was useless, she said to herself. She looked at Asuka and she couldn't amount the pain of knowing that she'll leave her. She was sure that leaving Asuka would feel a thousand light years more painful than getting zapped to death.

She only had a few seconds now, she wanted to say so many last words for Asuka. But the more she thought about what to say, the more her time lessened. It minus and minus until Lili realized that her time was only left for just one last, single sentence.

She took Asuka's face on her arms, and squeezed her cheeks. She would miss her. If the dead could miss the living, she would die again from missing Asuka.

"Asuka, I love you so much" she said in a straight voice. Even when her throat felt so painful from keeping her tears inside, she tried to say how much she loved Asuka in the clearest loudest way, so that when Asuka remembers her, she would be able to recall her words as vividly as she said it to her.

Lili could hear a ringing sound from her ears. It was time to let go of Asuka now. She leaned in to give her last kiss of goodbye to the one person she loved in her whole life.  
She quickly went away as fast as she came and pushed Asuka, the hardest she could. The exit doors open ajar, it was so small that only one person could actually fit even if she and Asuka both tried to go out. Lili smiled as she saw the others take Asuka by the biceps and carry her away from the door as fast as they could.

The doors lock down again, and Lili was left in a pitch black place. She couldn't hear or see anything anymore so she closed her eyes, and wondered what it'd felt like to never open them again.

* * *

Outside the fire exit door, the others weakened when they saw the door lock down. Hwoarang instantly lost touch of Asuka's arms, the ebony was left hanging to a kneel stand with her one arm still held by Steve.

"The doors…" Hwoarang said in disbelief, he walked slowly back at the door and looked at Jin, now standing at the edge of the van. "Lili…she….she's still in there? She's still in there right?"

Jin looked at Hwoarang. "I already told you guys, she said that the systems will only open for while and that two people can't get out at the same time, one of them had to stay back."

Hwoarang looked pissed, so pissed that he's expression shouted how much he didn't accept this kind of bullshit. He's head started to shake furiously from left to right.

"She's smart, how the fucking hell could she allow herself to die because of some shitty fire exit systems…that doesn't sound like her at all! You must have heard her wrong!"

Hwoarang went directly to Jin and cuffed his shirt tightly. He's veins were coming out of his neck and muscles. Xiayou and Steve could see how Jin's face was starting to color in blue.

"Hwoarang, let him go." Xiayou dragged her feet behind Hwoarang, she was going to help him calm down, she was going to make him let go of Jin. But her hands shaked when it touched Hwoarangs arms and she started to cry.

Hwoarang saw her, weep like a duck and he couldn't stop it either anymore. He threw Jin out of his way and shed tears himself. He kicked the ground and everything else near them. He's lips vibrated, he couldn't know how to take it all out. He was angry, he was sad, and he was irritated.

He saw Asuka still lying in the ground, she was just there, staring at the fire exit door.

"Aren't you going to do anything? Why aren't you reacting?" Hwoarang looked at Asuka, she tried to stand up. Her face didn't look like she was about to cry but it looked so hollow.

It was like there was no feelings on her, her eyes were empty. "She's going to come out.I'll go wait for her at the front door." Asuka said with a bit of smile that no one in their group could decipher where she got it inside of her.

Her body swayed left to right as she walked, she walked like someone shot in different parts of her body. Hwoarang and Xiayou looked at the girl.

"Just wait for us here guys, I know she's waiting for me. I have to carry her back because she might be tired from running you know? She just went from a fever..."

Hwoarang took Asuka's Hand. "Stop it" He said, he didn't feel mad at her anymore.

"Lili's waiting for me Hwoarang, let me go" Asuka tried to pull away from Hwoarang but he held on tighter to her hand.

"Let me go!" Asuka was beginning to get violent, her eyes were becoming red now and her hand tried to twist Hwoarang's.

Xiayou went in front of Asuka, she held her in the waist. "Asuka, stop it, if you go back the front door the guards will see you."

"I don't care, Lili and I will escapre again!"

"She's not going to wait for you there anymore." Jin started to talk from his position at the back of the van. "We need to leave now, or else Lili's sacrifice for the bullet would be a waste."

Xiayou couldn't take it in, she understood that what Jin said was true, but how could he talk there about leaving things like this, leaving Lili here just like this. Why does he look unaffected, he isn't even shedding any tears. Hwoarang started a fight with Jin about trying to get Lili's body first, but Jin told him that the ambulance would get it in time. Hwoarang punched him, he had lost his temper on Jin, and Xiayou just let it happen. She stood by Asuka who seemed lost and out of the world.

Xiayou heard Hwoarang saying something like Jin didn't care about Lili dying. Hwoarang may just be saying it because he was mad, but Xiayou had an eerie feeling. It didn't feel far off that maybe, Jin really didn't care at all.

By the time that the van leaves the bank facility, and they only left because the guards were on their way outside of the building now, Jin was driving the van. He's left eye had a black ring around it and he's mouth had blood all over. Sitting next to him was Xiayou and Asuka, both were quiet and looking out of the front window.

Xiayou was still crying and it didn't help when she could feel the gloominess surrounding Asuka. The ebony hasn't cried at all, she just keeps quite and that scares Xiayou. When she was a little kid and one of her grandmother dies, she asked her mother how come she never saw her grandfather cry until her grandma was buried. Xiayou's mother told her that too much pain can numb you from crying. The little Xiayou back then didn't understand it, but now she did. It would have been better if Asuka started to cry and scream like Hwoarang and her, but she didn't. She denied what was going on and now she was frozen to her make believe reality.

Hwoarang stuffed himself at the back of the van, he sat on the corner and buried his face on his knuckles that rested above he's clutched kneels. He silently wept inside.

They have no idea on where Steve is now. He just disappeared sometime between they were crying and fighting outside the fire exit.


	32. Chapter 32

**** A/N: I'm sorry this got a long time to get updated again, school is busier than ever. I really hope I can post the next chapter in a week, I can't promise but I'll try. ****

****Romak 1997:**** I'm sorry if I went on a chapter uploading spree the last time but I really had to do that cause see how long I got to update now? hehe, sorry for that too. Thanks for always saying that the chapter's awesome! and I think I'm the only crazy writer who kills Lili in an AsuLili fic. but everything will go well, just read and see (but not at this chapter yet).

**AsukaEnergetic1: **I owe you one of the biggest apologies, AsukaEnergetic1. Yes, I'm insane, yes, I'm a bad author, but I will gain back your trust. Your questions have answers at this chapter and the next. And your heart will be swayed in a good way once I reveal everything to you. :D keep holding on!

**DaMastah101: **Thank you for clearing those acronyms for me, they really are one of my internet weaknesses! you and your girlfriend are good together when it comes to cracking clues in stories, kudos :D Well, I think everyone has a hunch about Steve, but I let just let the chapters wash you the answers :)  
P.S. The chapter got too long, and before I realized it, I couldn't add who the girl is, but she's already in the next chapter. I'm really sorry for hanging you there.

* * *

**32) iN tHe wAke**

* * *

People come and go, that's what they say, and that's really how the world goes.

A guy in a white paramedic uniform says as he helps take the body to the ambulance car.

A group of nurses, and cops go around the bank at Kyoto. The entrance has been off limits and the police are studying everything that will help them know who the peole involved with the girl are. They didn't get anything from the cameras, and the girl found in the fire exit has no identity yet.

In front of the ambulance, another guy in a white paramedic uniform stood with blankets on his hands. He made the stretcher with the girl stop just before it is taken inside the vehicle.

"I'll take it from here" he orders to the other paramedic while handing him the blankets he was holding. The other guy just shook his shoulders and left him.

The guy stares at the stretcher, placed above it is a black bag zipped at the middle from down to up. He took the zipper and carefully opened it, blonde hair came out in a few inches down, and that alone made him stop zipping further.

Although he had gloves on, he felt squishy to hold the cold body inside the black bag. But he swallowed his squeamishness and tried to put two fingers on the neck side of the girl. He waited for a sign of breath or life, but there was none.

He zipped the bag again and pulled the stretcher up the ambulance.

* * *

Clanks and creaking sounds were very noisy today, but it couldn't be help when the owners of the place have no time in checking their elevators. Steve is alone in the elevator, travelling quickly to the last floor of Lar's hideout. As the mirror shinning doors slide open, he finds himself in the company of Lars.

"Have you checked it?" Lars asks Steve without a second after the elevators open.

Steve steps out of the elevator and nods his head once. "Any pulse is dead. The body is cold. I feel sad to think that they'll be seeing her soon now."

Lars looks sideways, he feels bad for the others as well. "It's in their hands what to do with her now. We'll have to send some financial help, it's the least we can do after letting Jin do what he wants."

Steve looks discontented, he has to close his eyes just to understand Lars a bit more. When he opens them again, Lars doesn't seem to have anything more to say. The blonde head turns around and walks off the corridor. Steve follows behind him. They walked slowly, but their steps were noisy because of their big, clunky shoes stepping on the shinning marble floor.

Lars eyes slide to his left, his vision is just enough to see Steve from peripheral view. "Besides that help we'll be keeping quiet from now on. Let Jin think we're crushed and scared of him."

"And how long will we have to stay quiet? Lars, he's going to go after the others, what's the sense in our planning if there's no one left to save?"

"She'll decide that for us Steve. We wait for her signal."

Steve heaves an aggravated air. "I know what we have to do, but I still feel worried about the others. I should've at least warned them before disappearing."

"The less they know about the plans, the better we can do them. Their knowledge about it can affect the results in a big way."

The two men reach a two door room at the end of the hallway. The doors are thin and colored in metal blue. Steve was still stuck on his conversation with Lars, but he stopped thinking about it as soon as they reach the doors. Lars comes in naturally, as if the person he'd meet inside wasn't someone he had to be prepared to meet.

"Good morning Brother" A man in a black suit greets Lars. The man is tall, with silver hair cut in the middle and a necktie as red as roses.

"I told you I DON'T TRUST HER" Lars eyes squint in irritation. He had already warned Lee about this, but it seems like he never heard him at all.

Lee smiled at Lars, it was a sly smile, and for one thing, he had to giggle as well. Lee was sitting at the center table inside the room, and in front of him was the executive chair, occupied by a woman who wore a flourishing gown that had the same shade of red in Lee's necktie.

"Don't worry Lars, she's not here to kill anyone."

"Not yet" Lars quickly backfires at Lee. He makes his way to the sofa at the left side of the center table, Steve enters the room by this time. He looks at Lee and nods at him as a greeting.

"Steve, tell Lars that we can trust Anna" Lee tries to get Steve's help.

Steve looked at Anna in the executive chair. Her expression was calm and she looked like she didn't mind being untrusted. She must have even anticipated it.

"I can't say so" Steve answers.

Anna twitches a smile. "It's ok, I mean, Jin dated Xiayou and still killed Lili, I can do the same if I want to"

Lars doesn't like Anna's joke, on the other hand, he doesn't take it as a joke at all.

Lee squizes the hand of the bob haired. "Shh, Lars will never trust you like that"

"Yes, I'm sorry Lee." Anna stays quiet after that.

"Excellent" Lee throws his hand in the air. "So, brother, are the plans going as we expected?"

"Well it was never in our plan for Lili to die, but now we have to adjust to it."

"Poor girl" Anna's voice sounded like she really felt sad about the news, but the tone of her speech was more like surprise than care. "She left her girlfriend, didn't she? The bitch who kicked me to sleep."

The two blonde men inside the room looked stiffed at Anna. Lars pointed his index at Anna.

"You know you're not in your territory, if I were you I wouldn't speak like that in front of me."

Anna rolled her eyes up. "Please, I was just saying the truth. I met them at a resort, and for some unknown reason, that girl with the short hair kicked me in the face."

Lee started to laugh behind Anna. "Oh, you should've seen how her eye got swollen the next day!"

"Lee!" Anna slapped Lee in the chest.

"Oh yes! I'm sorry Ann" Lee stopped laughing, and we he got a glimpse of Lars and Steve, it looked like the two were highly feeling uncomfortable.

"Anyways, we know what's next on Jin's plans. Lee, you know what your job is, and I hope that as much as the two of you are getting along, that girl will also get along with the job." Lars stands up from the sofa and glares at Anna. "If Lee has shared most of our plans to you, then I bet you already have an idea on what we do to traitors."

Anna smiled and proded her head downwards at the same time. "I know enough to stay loyal."

Lars look of disdain was still painted on his face until he and Steve were alone again at the hallways. Steve asked him if he wasn't planning any measures against Anna, but Lars simply answered him that she's all Lee's responsibility. There were enough problems to be planning measures against with, Anna is just a speck if compared.

* * *

The Alliance, or can they still be called this if the person who built it isn't around anymore. Jin drove the van back to Tokyo, taking six hours of driving time. Xiayou remained awake the whole time, Asuka was too, but her head was down the whole ride ever since they got out of the bank.

At the back, Hwoarang was feeling tired already, he wanted to sleep, but there was no place fit to sleep on at the back. He was sitting on wires of different sizes and the computer screens were still on. A series of videos inside the bank kept replaying. Hwoarang would try to check the videos then he'd remember what happened today and he'd feel wrong to watch it. He tried turning off the computer but the one at the middle just wouldn't shut down. In a last resort, he covered the computer screen with the things he could find around the van, at one open space below the middle computer, he was able to find the earphones that Jin wore a while ago. Hwoarang tossed it aside, not knowing the importance of that device. Not knowing that he could've known everything by now, if only he wore those earphones, and listened to Jin and Lili's final conversation. A conversation that held danger for Jin if it was heard by another, but he saved it. He recorded the last parts of his conversation with Lili because that would be the key for his next plan.

The van arrived in front of the dojo by evening, at the time where stars are barely coming out and the moon was still fighting the sun for its position.

"Asuka" Xiayou shaked the girl sitting next to her. She couldn't get down the car without Asuka going down before her.

Asuka opened the door on her left, she jumped down the van. Xiayou jumped out next and by the time that Hwoarang was opening the dojo gate, Asuka started to tell something.

Everyone shifted their heads backward, they were clustered at the gate while Asuka stood alone in front of them.

"Why did we leave her?"

"We couldn't risk getting caught there" Jin answered her question. Hwoarang and Xiayou looked at him, of course they agreed that no one wants to get caught and be imprisoned, but they also agree that leaving Lili there was not a good choice.

_How can he say that? How can he just throw everything at Asuka like he doesn't care about what she'll feel?_ Xiayou was beginning to hate Jin for acting like an indifferent person.

"Asuka, it's ok. The bank will post news about what happened, we'll get to know where Lili is." Xiayou tried her best. She wanted to say something that doesn't include being a selfish realist like Jin has been doing for the past seven hours.

Asuka doesn't look convinced. Xiayou felt her heart ache, she knows that Asuka's worried and sad, she just can't take it out. If only Lili was here. Xiayou could feel her tears sting her eyes. At times like this, she could imagine that Lili could cheer up Asuka without another sentence. Actually, at this very moment, maybe even just the sight of Lili could cheer up Asuka.

"Asuka" Hwoarang calls out to the ebony. She looks at him. Hwoarang contemplates, he wonders if he can tell it to her. He wants to let Asuka accept the situation here. He tries to get some courage from Xiayou. The Chinese shakes her head, she's doing it with her eyes looking so scared. Hwoarang dismissed the idea entirely. "Let's rest for tonight. We'll go find her the first thing tomorrow morning."

Hwoarang turned away from Asuka, he couldn't stare back at her anymore, not with those ebony eyes filled with hollow void, and that expression that seemed so hopeful.

"She'll come back." Asuka convinces them.

Hwoarang and Xiayou nod their heads, Jin tries to copy them while slightly tilting his head to the left.

"She always comes back." Asuka smiles.

Xiayou was able to cough out a laugh, she went to Asuka and pulled her in the hand.  
"Yeah, that's right, we all know how fast a traveler Lili is!"

Hwoarang couldn't laugh along, and Jin acted like he was laughing along.  
Hours into the night, inside Hwoarang's bedroom, Xiayou sat at the auburn head's bed. Her hands clutched tight on the bed sheets.

"Xiayou, you said you wanted to tell me something." Hwoarang was standing near the door. Xiayou asked him to, she said he had to make sure that no one was around outside.

Xiayou leaped from her seat, as if she was jumping from surprise. She looked at Hwoarang with wide open eyes. "Hwoarang, how do you feel about what happened? Do you think Lili is really? -I can't even say it"

Hwoarang sighed heavily. "I feel like beating up a whole army….and don't get me started with that…I wish she isn't." Hwoarang looked up at his ceiling, maybe praying for it.

"We'll know that for sure by tomorrow morning."

"How do yo know that?"

Xiayou was still wearing the janitor uniform, she rubbed her finger at the bank logo on the left side of her chest. "A big issue like that would be posted in the news…they would announce it in there if Lili really did…."

"Don't say it anymore"

"Ok"

Hwoarang and Xiayou stayed quiet. After a few minutes Hwoarang sat down at the floor, he could see Xiayou's face from the moon lit.

"Why are you talking with me here? Go and comfort each other with Jin."

Xiayou bit her lower lip, she swung her feet and bumped it at the bed silently as possible. When she felt like she can say it, she only said it in a low voice, so low, it sounded like a whisper.

"I feel different about him, Hwoarang…..I feel like he's not saying something to us."

Hwoarang felt relieved, at least he could open up to Xiayou now. He was afraid to do it a while ago because he though he was the only one thinking about it.

"He was the last one who talked with Lili, and he hasn't told us everything that happened in their conversation. Asuka doesn't seem to know as well. She's as oblivious as we are."

"I don't know what to be afraid of tomorrow….knowing if Lili is…gone…or knowing if Jin did something about it."

"Why don't you try being afraid of how Asuka will take both?"

Xiayou's eyebrows went upside down. She was unable to say anything else. But she prayed to all creatures above. She prayed deep and quietely that everything turns out alright.

The next morning comes with Hwoarang watching the sun rise from his window. Xiayou had fallen asleep on his bed. He comes out of his room and lets her sleep some more. Out at the hallway he saw Jin standing outside Xiayou's bedroom.

"Hey" he calls Jin, wearing black all over.

"Hwoarang, you're up early"

"Didn't get any sleep. Xiayou's not there, we were talking last night when she fell asleep at my room." Hwoarang examined Jin's reaction, the guy looked worried.

"I see" Hwoarang finds it odd that for such a worried expression, he's words were dull.

Asuka came up the stairs, she looked like she didn't sleep at all. Her hair was flying in some areas, and her eyes were black underneath. "I cooked some breakfast but I couldn't eat it. Can you guys finish it for me?" She scratched her head, like she always does when she feels helpless or naïve of what to do.

"Yeah, sure, Asuka" Jin told the ebony. Asuka weakly smiled before going inside of her bedroom.

Hwoarang looked at Jin. "Why are you dressed up?" he questioned the guy.

"I've been surfing through the net since an hour ago. The police have gone to the bank. Lili, she's been brought to the Kyoto general hospital."

Hwoarang almost smacked Jin in the face for not saying it as soon as possible. "Well, what's the news about her?" He asked, excited and terriefied at the same time.

Jin's throat vibrated when he swallowed hard. He looked down to the floor and gave Hwoarang a shake of the head. That was it.

Hwoarang's feet started shaking under his shoes. He felt numb.

"It's best if we go there now" Jin insisted.

Hwoaring didn't answer him anything, he looked at the floor. Jin had to place a hand on his shoulder but he shook it off.

"I'm going to call Xiayou, you try and tell that to Asuka." Hwoarang turned around and went inside of his bedroom. The wall of the door frame cracked from intense slam.

* * *

Three hours later, Hwoarang and Xiayou looked at each other. They were sitting between Asuka in the plane. Jin in front of them.

They don't know how Jin told Asuka about the news, they even have a hunch that maybe she still doesn't know. Asuka was quiet like yesterday, and her expression was blank. She was on the border of looking sad and fine.

The Korean and the Chinese couldn't hide the worry on their faces. If they can't even stop looking mournful wrecks, why is Asuka able to? Shouldn't she be the most affected? Shouldn't she be the most hurt?

Xiayou wanted to ask Jin, right then and there. _What did you tell her? _She asked internally and repeatedly while looking at Jin's head, visible from the seat in front of her.

But it wasn't that easy, they were inside a small compacted plane, there was no place for privacy. She also worried about the consequences of having herself more upset. Perhaps, like she feared, Jin was up to no good at all she can't imagine the uproar she would start. From a mourning friend to a jinxed lover, the plane crashing down because of damage caused by severe blows would be a best case scenario.

The plane landed safely, and they fared a taxi to get to the Kyoto General Hospital. Upon the entrance, Xiayou pulled Jin away, behind Asuka who was distracted by Hwoarang attempt to rant about something.

Xiayou felt Jin move along with her. He wasn't complaining or asking where she would take him, it's like he was even expecting this to happen. They went to an alley many streets away the hospital. It was enclosed in three dead ends and the walls were high, thick and dirty with red paint stripping away.

Xiayou walked back and forth at a small distance. Jin rubbed his wrist that was squeezed hardly by Xiayou.

"What did you tell Asuka?" Xiayou started, almost screaming. She was clutching her hand, and Jin noticed it.

He's eyes looked at the clutch hand as he answered. "The truth Xiao, I told her that Lili's gone."

Xiayou hastily slapped the guy across his face, the impact was rapid and strong. He's cheek started to redden as soon as the hand unstuck from it.

"Why do I feel like your doing this on purpose?"

"What are you talking about?" Jin put his finger on his cheek. The stinging was persistently becoming worse.

"Stepping on our feelings Jin! It's like you don't care about what happened. About how Asuka would feel, she's your relative for God's sake!"

"How am I stepping on your feelings? I'm just doing my best to be calm Xiao. One of us needs to organize things here."

"How about Asuka? What did you tell her? Why does she seem so unaffected? How did you break it to her?" Xiayou stomped her hands on Jin's chest, the guy let him do just that until she broke into tears.

Jin embraced her, and hushed her as he stroked her back. "I guess I can't keep shutting you out anymore."

Xiayou raised her head from Jin's chest. "What do you mean?"

Jin's calm face turned into a slight smile, he used his one hand to raise Xiayou's chin up to meet her eyes directly.

"You have a lot of questions Xiayou, but I think the one you'd like to ask the most, is if I have anything to do with Lili dying."

Xiayou pressed her arms on Jins's chest, trying to get away from his embrace. She got out without a problem, but Jin's eyes were still locked to her eyes.

"I do, Xiayou. I am the very reason that she's gone now." Jin admitted without a trace of guilt on his voice.

Xiayou covered her mouth, she was speechless by shock. Jin walked o her, she tried backing away, step by sole of her black boots hit the wall behind her, she was stuck now. Jin's arms trapped her, barricading her way from side to side.

Jin's eyes fixated upon Xiayou's and the Chinese can see how his pupils were deep black, his mouth was almost grinning. He had the face of the devil. A horrifying face that tried to get closer to her own face, and whispered in her ear.

"You can come with me Xiayou. You don't have to be a part of my plans anymore, you can just join me in making them come true."

"NO!" Xiayou outcries, her tears flow down and her feet start kicking violently. "I will never join a plan that killed my friend."

"Are you really sure of that Xiayou? Don't you want to be with me, don't you love me?"

Xiayou moves her hand upwards, doing a heavy uppercut on Jin. The guy moves away from her and takes seconds before he stabilizes his body again.

"I don't want to be with a monster, don't even associate yourself with the Jin that I love. You're not him." Xiayou takes this opportunity to run away, Jin almost got her by the hand but he was too weak to hold on while she wiggled his hold away.

* * *

At the morgue at Kyoto General Hospital. Hwoarang and Asuka sat at monoblocks, facing a body covered with a white blanket. The nametag on the the corpse's hand was empty.

A man in whole white and a mask in the face went to Asuka. He was holding a paper and a pen. Hwoarang took the paper and pen away from him, knowing that he was about to give it to Asuka.

"I said we'd confirm it when we're ready!" Hwoarang shouted madly at the guy.

"I'm sorry Sir, but we can't wait any longer. The body is starting to deteriorate, we have to do cleaning on her in the next hour, and the body can't be discharged without any of yu confirming her identity and relations with you."

Hwoarang grinds his teeth, he felt so angry. He didn't want to confirm it at all, but there was no choice. He tapped Asuka in the shoulder who immediately stood up and walked behind him. Together they headed in front of the body's head.

Hwoarang raised his hand, it was shaking nervously, and was stiffening. It didn't feel like raising the white blanket at all. The hospital employee could see this, and by the look of his eyes, it seems it was the same thing over and over again.

As a sort of help, he lifted the blanket and handed it to Hwoarang's hand. He nearly stepped back in horror. Blond locks of hair started to cascade down the stretcher. The clutch on the blanket was causing the whole cover to wrinkle and shrink. The foot of the body was slowly showing at the other end. White porcelain skin and finely cut toenails.

Finally, Hwoarang let go of the blanket, and went outside of the room. Asuka was left standing a few inches from the body's head. She looked terrified.

The hospital employee watched as she remained like rock, he shakes his head, knowing that Asuka's face was the look of someone who is not ready to accept it. The man goes in front of Asuka and takes one part of the blanket, probably planning to fix it, but Asuka got the end of the blanket first.

She bent down and took the locks of golden hair. They weren't soft and shiny as she remembered. They were heavy, dry and rough to the skin. As she pulled the blanket up to fix the hair back, she tried to get a glimpse of the body's face.

She looked like she was sleeping. Her eyes were closed softly, her mouth curved, and her expression calm. Asuka closed the blanket down, just seeing that was enough. It was a sign that she didn't die crying, or lonely, she looked ready.

Asuka's eyebrows raised up after thinking that, but she shakes her head immediately to heave the thought away. She fixed the other parts of the blanket, making sure the whole body is covered and that no wrinkle would be seen on the cover. When she was done, her hand traveled to half of the body and to the left side, where she was standing, she slowly opened a part of the blanket.

She bent down and took out the hand she always used to hold. The warmth wasn't present anymore, it was all cold. The softness can't be felt, it was just hard. The fingers were sticked together and she tried to separate them and put her fingers in between.

The man saw how she swooned over the hand, how she tried desperately to let the hand hold back to her. He left the room, not wanting to ruin this important moment. The moment where the person says good bye to a loved one.

Asuka was left alone now, she still tried to hold on to the hand but it was useless. Those same fingers won't close with hers anymore. She dragged this feeling of lost. She took out her fingers from the still ones and stared at the hand. It was still white as she remembered. She stared at it for a while before slowly leaning in to kiss it. She let her lips grasp the coarse feeling of the harden knuckles of the icy hand.

Even with all the pain that's shredding her heart, her eyes were still dry. It was a deep and indescribable feeling. The overflowing of lost, sadness and guilt. It penetrated her in the most excruciating way, that all she can feel now is numbness and shatter. The effect of too much pain had ceased her from knowing how to let them out. They were jam-packed and fighting on who gets to go out first. She wanted to cry, she wanted to lessen the pain that's stuck on her chest, on her throat, but they won't come out. She couldn't shed a tear on her eyes, but the flow of the tears inside of her was relentless. It was a scary feeling that felt like it will never go away, the misery will never go away. The guilt will never be taken.

She continued to kiss the hand, above the palm and in the palm. She wanted to savor this at least, the last time she can actually feel her flesh against her body.

* * *

Outside the morgue, Xiayou arrived hearing someone going out of the door, Hwoarang comes out looking red and near to tears.

"Hwoarang" Xiayou called him, she was still crying and holding her hands to her chest.

"Xiayou, it's her, I just saw it, it is Lili's body. Damn it"

Xiayou went to Hwoarang and shaked him. "Hwoarang, we need to do something. Jin admitted it, he killed her."

"What!" Hwoarang moved Xiayou away from him. "Damn him! Where is he? I'm going to kill him myself"

Xiayou feels the anger in Hwoarang's voice, the boy's veins were coming out of his neck and forehead. Xiayou holds his shirt and pulls it lightly. "No, Hwoarang, we don't know what he can do to you. It's not safe to fight him."

Hwoarang tries to escape Xiayou's clutch but he fails and falls down the floor. "Fine, I still need to be alive for Lili's funeral anyways. But after that, I don't care anymore, I'm going to go after him!"

Xiayou helped Hwoarang stand up from the floor, she looked at the double door of the morgue. "We need to tell this to Asuka"

"No, you won't" the voice send shivers down Xiayou's back while it sent hot blood to Hwaorang's head. The two of them look at the source of the voice. JIn stood at the end of the hallway, he's cheek was redder that a while ago.

"If you tell her that, then I'm going to have to kill her too." Jin blackmailed the two.

Xiayou and Hwoarang needed no more words, they just exchanged glances and retreated to the seats at the side of the morgue. Jin sat one chair apart from them.

A couple of police come by the morgue after half an hour, after that, Asuka came out of the morgue. The three who were waiting for her stood up in chorus.

"Do you guys think we can hit a hotel can just talk abou the funeral there." Asuka convinced them.

"That's a great idea, come on" Jin took the liberty of guiding Asuka out to the hallways. Xiayou and Hwaorang followed the two of them, feeling remorseful about how the devil acts so angelic to the victim.


	33. Chapter 33

**** A/N:Well this is a surprise, I got to finish the chapter quickly! ****

****Romak 1997:**** Oh ok then, we're the same, I like reading a lot too. And I also read a song of ice and fire, but don't worry, I'm not GRRM, I like happy endings :D

**DaMastah101:** First of all, Hi there Roxanne :D  
Anyways its always better for you to go with the positive turn of events! and Hwoa's girl is here :D I don't know if you guys think they're a good match, just let me know about it... Jin's not a psycho, he's more on sadistic now XD oh, and yeah, I'm a Filipino! Hello there mga kababayan :D

**AsukaEnergetic1: **I'm sorry, this chapter is full of drama and angst again, but things are going to get better. Lili will come back in the best way possible :D

* * *

**33) It starts at the bottom**

* * *

La Rousse! La Rousse! A hefty man with thick white beard yelled at the top of his lungs. People inside the bus scrambled about. They stood up from their seats and grabbed their things, quickly exiting the bus.

Asuka looked panicked, she didn't know where she is now, or what La Rousse even means.

"Uhm, excuse me, where are we now?" She asked a woman who didn't look like in a hurry to come down.

The woman was old, wrinkled face but powdered in makeup. She looked at Asuka, and placed her hand on top of the Japanese' shoulder.

"My dear, we're at Saint Roman now, La Rousse" She said in a nice old lady way. Asuka smelled her strong perfume, and saw the logo of Chanel in the woman's gloves.

"Madam" A man in a suit calls for the woman, bowing down to her.

"Good Luck now, dear" The woman said before leaving Asuka.

Asuka smiled at the woman, obviously rich and powerful, but helpful and nice. She scanned her body for the piece of paper where she wrote the address she was meaning to go to.

The bus moves again, and Asuka sits back down, realizing that her destination was still minutes away. She needs to get to La Colle, one of the farthest city in Monaco, and the last route of the bus she was riding on.

She swayed back and fort to the vehicle's inertia, and she thought about how she didn't want to reach her destination. She was going to La Colle because that's where Cemetiere de Monaco is, the necropolis of Monaco.

* * *

"I don't even know him, why would I call him?" Hwoarang pushedthe telephone away from his lap. Xiayou catches it in time before it fell to the stood near them, drinking water from a wine glass and Asuka was next to him, looking at the two.

"Hwoarang you're the only one who can do it, you're the tough one here." Xiayou tried to convince the auburn head. She placed the telephone back on top of his lap.

"Oh come on, that doesn't mean I can just do this. How do you even expect me to say _good evening sir, I'm just here to call you because your daughters dead, and we need to know where you want her funeral to be_."

"That's fine already, we only need to know his answer"

"Xiayou, what is wrong with you? Telling a parent that his child is dead never comes out well. He might yell at me, say it's a prank call and hung up."

"But" Xiayou raised the hand-phone to Hwoarang. "At least try"

Hwoarang stared at the hand-phone and Xiayou, back and forth. He hesitates to take the hand-phone, but he still takes it and puts it near his ear. Xiayou read the contact number of the Rochefort Mansion from a piece of placard.

Hwoarang types each digit, slow and nervously. After eight digits, the telephone begins to ring. He swallowed hard when he heard the other line pick up.

"Hello" A weary man's voice answers.

"Ah-

The hand-phone was taken from Hwoarang's hand. Asuka took the call, she carried the whole telephone set inside one of the bedrooms inside the hotel.

"Hello, is this the Rochefort Mansion" Asuka greeted back.

"It used to be a mansion….I'm sorry. What do you need?"

Asuka sat down at the floor, leaning her back to the warm cream fabric wrapped walls.

"Ah, I'm calling here, from Japan….are you Mr. Rochefort?"

A silence answers Asuka for almost a half-minute.

"Did something happen to Lili, to my daughter?"

Asuka heart fell off. _This is her father!_

"Hello? Is this anything about my daughter? She's in Japan right now"

_It's her father…._

"Hello, are you still there? Who are you?...Is this Asuka?"

Asuka's heart pulverized. He knows her, he knows that Lili went to Japan because of her.

_It's all my fault._

"Please answer me, I know you're still there, the line is still on."

"Mr. Rochefort….I…I'm so..sorry"

"You're sorry for what? Who are you? Why are you calling here?"

_It's all my fault._

"Mr. Rochefort, I'm so sorry. I killed your daughter."

_She died because of me._

"…..who are YOU!" The voice yelled angrily, breaking things could be heard from the background.

"We need to know when you want the body to be brought there for the funeral….I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry"

Asuka can hear the line jamming up. Mr. Rochefort wasn't talking with her anymore. Banging and breaking sounds reached Asuka's ears, but she waited until Mr. Rochefort went back to her. It took minutes before the man took up the phone and spoke in a coughed and weared out tone. He had been crying excessively.

"I want her back here as soon as tomorrow. Don't ever call me again, and don't even bother going to her funeral." Mr. Rochefort throws the phone to his table, upsetting all the papers, pens and books. Broken things fluttered inside his empty office.

Xiayou looked at Asuka, still listening to the sounds from the other line. Xiayou crouched in front of her, she took the hand-phone from Asuka's hand and placed it down the telephone.

"Asuka, don't think about it anymore. He's just mourning, like all of us are."

Asuka heaved heavily, and buried her face to the palms of her two hands. "I can't even go to her funeral" she starts laughing. "I don't deserve to anyway, I killed her."

"Asuka, you didn't kill Lili, you're not some monster I know who can do that" Xiayou's eyes moved to her right, she gawked sharply at Jin, standing there, looking back at her.

Asuka shaked her head. "No, you don't know what happened in there, you don't know the truth. I killed her, it's all my fault."

"What did happen in there?" Hwaorang stepped inside the bedroom. He bumped Jin as hard as he could, almost making him fall. He started to have suspicions now, Jin had told something to Asuka.

"I…I can't tell you" Asuka stood up from the floor and dashed out of the room. She went to the other room, and locked herself there.

Jin could see the faces of the other two left inside the room. They were pinning him with stares of suspicions.

"We better sleep now. We still have a body to export tomorrow." He turned around, but before he can take one step away from the door, the two got him in the arm.

"It's useless even if the two of you team up on me like this, I can put both of you down."

"Oh, you'll be beat more than this." Hwoarang tensed up his strangle on Jin's arm, he twisted it, turning it like a screw. Jin pushed his teeth together, he tried not to yell from the pain.

"You'll never get away with this Jin. We'll tell Asuka everything and she's going to bring you down, deep as hell." Xiayou twisted his other shoulder, much rotated than Hwoarang's turn. The twist made a crack in his bones, Jin's muscles crunched and exploded, he threw the two away.

The throw wasn't that strong to make the two fall on their backs, but they had to hold on the walls to stay standing.

"I'd like to see the two of you try it." Jin mocked them, laughed at them and left them there. He went inside another room, locking the door after him.

* * *

The next morning, Xiayou and Hwoarang keep an eye out to Asuka. They need to tell her everything, before Jin makes another move. It wasn't easy to get Asuka's attention, she was walking all the papers needed for the corpse export. She also didn't seem to be in the mood of talking with people. Jin was with her, doing all the talking. One moment ago, Asuka and Jin were standing at the plane package line, by the second, they weren't there anymore.

"Where'd they go?" Xiayou scanned the area, running from aisle to aisle inside the package building.

"Damn it, he must have taken her somewhere. Damn it, I knew we shouldn't leave her alone with him!" Hwoarang stomped his feet in aggravation.

They continued to look around and outside of the building. They found nothing for a half hour, then they saw Jin walking out of the building.

They run to him, stopping in front of him. "Where's Asuka?" Xiayou and Hwoarang said together. The guy was alone, Asuka was nowhere to be seen.

Jin looked at the two, he started to move his mout to a wide evil grin.

Footsteps behind Hwoarang and Xiayou came close, within seconds the two of them were dropped to their knees and handcuffed.

"What the…" Hwoarang shaked his hands, feeling the tight cuffs on his wrists.

"The two of you are under arrest for being involved in the Kyoto Bank attempted robbery last two days ago." One of the police man stated, tightening the handcuff on Xiayou's wrist.

"How about him? Aren't you going to arrest him? He's one of us!" Hwoarang looked up at Jin, smiling evilly down on him.

"Blaming someone for something they didn't do is a crime worth of charges, boy" Another police man said, he pulled Hwoarang's jacket, helping him stand up.

"Then charge him! He even killed someone! He's the one you should take. He deserves to rot in jail!" The two police men grab Hwoarang in the arms, preventing him from coming close to Jin.

"Just stay quiet boy, or you're charges will go up" the lengthier police man said, dragging Hwoarang to the police car parked at the near road.

"You too, lady" The third police man pulled Xiayou in the bicep, she shaked his hand off and stood up on her own. She stared at Jin, long and focused. She gave him a grimace before turning around and going to the police car.

Jin watches as the car takes off. He stands at his place, catching the car's sight as long as he can.

"You look sad for sending her off." A cold woman's voice steps next to Jin.

"She chose to fight against me, I don't have any other choice." Jin shifted his head to his assistant in crime. Nina was crossed arm, she shakes her head.

"Tsk, tsk, well, that's too bad then."

"Enough with me, are you done with the gadgets?"

Nina smiled, she handed him a folder she kept a hold on. "Everything's ready, I just hope she can do it like you believe."

"She's too sad to think correctly right now, we can make her do anything." Jin closes the folder after scanning it, he gives it back to Nina.

"Let's go back to the base then." Nina pointed her arm to a black car parked at the road.

* * *

La Colle! La Colle! The hefty man with the beard yelled for the last time in this day.

Asuka was the only one left inside the bus. She went down the ladders adjacent to the driver's seat.

"Merci" The driver tells her, raising his cap.

"Thank you" Asuka said back, not really confident about speaking in French. She got down on a road that was facing tall buildings. She unfolded the paper she held on her hand and checked the address again.

She sighed, she didn't have any idea where La Colle, 9800 Monaco was. She knows she's in La Colle, but where is 9800 here?

She looked around for people to ask around, but no one was there where she was. She decided to make her way to the tall building, and just across them, people flooded the streets.

Houses were built on hills above one another, buildings soared at the lowest grounds and at the very end of the stair hills, the oceans were red and yellow by the tint of the sinking sun.

Asuka went closer to the crowd of people, she still looked around, maybe spotting the cemetery by accident. She was right. At the middle hill, far from her, she saw mountains of white crosses, one above another like the houses. It was there, the only cemetery at Monaco was there.

She changed her direction from straight ahead to up ahead. It would take her a lot of minutes to get there by feet, but she didn't mind it, she still got there.

She got there in time. No one was there anymore, the guests who mourned for her love were gone now, but the petals of they're flowers were torn at the ground. Asuka could hardly see anything, it took her till night to look for Lili's tomb. She had no clue at all where it was, except for it would be the newest looking because she was only buried this morning.

Asuka took out her cellphone, she lighted the tombstone erected tall from the ground. It was as tall as half of Asuka's height, marble black and shaped in a perfect rectangle.

The light of her cellphone passed the center of the tomb, and there it was, the name that many people came to forget. Asuka stared at that name, it might be written with a lot of French accents, but it was her name nonetheless.

Emilie De Rochefort  
Liveth here forever

The letters engraved in silver glitters.

Asuka placed her hand above the tomb, she caressed it carefully before stepping away from it. She placed her phone down on the ground. She took something inside her jacket, it was a flower, one piece of the Lily flower.

She had been mourning for one week now, it's been a week now since the incident. It's been four days now since she brought Lili's body to Monaco. She came with her that time, and she hid herself as she watched people visit her body in the funeral.

She stayed there for a day, then she came back to Tokyo, and locked herself inside Lili's bedroom.

* * *

Asuka's POV

* * *

_I haven't been inside her room since the incident, I felt afraid of remembering her too much. But now that I'm inside here, it just feels like she's here. _

Going to her funeral was both good and bad for me, I thought it'd help me accept it. It didn't, the longer I was there the more I kept convincing myself that this is surreal. This is not happening.

And I realized I was doomed there, I could never accept it while I was there. All I could think about was to go back here, to go to her room and act like she's here.

She still is here!

I stand up from her bed, I open her cabinet. All of her clothes are still here, they still smelled like her.

I can take any of them, but I chose this one. Her favorite dress, I can laundry it now, yes I can!

_No… She'll get mad of me and she might never return to me. That's right, I'll hold it for her, and protect it. She'll be so happy of me she'll have to come back!_

I embraced the dress, it felt like her, but its smell was faint. I put it around my arm and opened a drawer inside the cabinet. I know this is where she puts her perfume.

Yes, I was right, it is here. Her Clive Christian No. 1, she said this was worth thousands of dollars. I don't think she was lying because it smelled so good and strong.

I sprayed it on the dress, one spray made it smell like she was actually here, but one spray is not enough.

Another one, and another, and another. I put the dress on her bed. I can't control myself anymore. I take off the perfume's cap and pour all of it in the dress, wetting it. But I don't regret it, now the whole room smelled of her. Now the air feels like her. Now I think she's here.

I place the bottle carefully back to the drawer, she'd get mad if I break it because she said she collects them.

I take the dress back to my arms, now it smelled so much like her.

I embraced it in the bed, I imagine embracing her there.

But it was useless, not even her own stuff can replace her. I can feel her dress and smell her but it's still not enough. It's not her, it's never going to be her.

I embraced the dress harder, crumpling it to my chest. I was crying silently, when I heard something crunch up.

I sit up in the bed and try to look for where it was coming from. I tapped the bedsheets and the pillows but I couldn't find it there. I looked at the dress by my right, I grabbed it and squeezed every part of it. The crunch went back.

It was at the pocket of the dress. I quickly slip my fingers there, and I felt a piece of paper slide my fingers. I grab it and I pull it out.

The paper was folded four times, shrinked to a little square. I throw the dress down and open the paper with my two hands. I haven't opened the last fold yet, but I already know what's inside the paper.

I know exactly her elegant penmanship and her witty constructions of words. I remember this paper very clearly, even without looking at the bold title above. I think I can even recite what's written here, I've only read it once but it was enough for me to never forget it.

The list on how I should apologize to her. Yeah, this is that list that she came up with when we were still in the tournament. Now it's soaked with perfume, the letters are starting to blur and the paper is becoming yellowish. The words are becoming more unreadable, but the last on the list was still clear, and untouched of damage.

_Why did she never throw this?_ I started to wonder, and _when did I even last see this?_

I tried to remember it, where this paper went to after I read it. Think, think, think….wait I think I know now.

After I read this, I was about to take it. It was just in front of me at the floor but she got it first. She folded it right in front of me. Yeah, now I remember her putting it in the pocket of her dress that time, the same pocket I just got it from right now.

It's the same dress, the same dress she wore at the tournament…that's why it's her favorite…it's the same dress…..same…wait

If this is that dress, then that means…

_"Now take off your clothes" _

_"What are you?... the tournament's in an hour, we can't do that.." _

_"What are you even insinuating?"_

_"What am I insinuating? You want me to get naked!"_

_"I just want to change attires with you." _

_"Change attires?"_

_"Yes, you wear my frill dress while I wear your…blue…jumper looking suit."_

Hell, Lili, this is your dress that I wore.

I started to laugh.

It is funny, I would laugh hard at her if she was only here. She never wanted to wash this dress because I wore it? Was that it? That's why it didn't smell so much like her.

_God, Lili….why are you doing this to me?_

I asked her, but I know she can't answer me. Even if I stare at her tomb until next year, she's never going to answer me anymore.

I raise up the Lily that I have in my hand, I raise it up to her name.

_This is what's left of me now, and this_

I take out the paper where the address is written, it's the same paper she wrote her list on.

_I never asked you to save me, you should've just let me die with you._

For the first time, I felt my eyes sting at the sides, it was both happy and sad for me. I can finally cry.

My tears finally went out of me, and now I can't stop them.

_Lili, why did you need to leave me?_

I know it's selfish of me to just want you alive for myself, but really, how could you leave any of us? Your friends, your father, everyone is sad because you're gone.

_You promised me you won't leave me, where are you now?_

I've heard the saying that you shouldn't let your tears come in contact with the tomb of the dead, or act violent in front of it, they say it upsets the dead. It makes it hard for them to leave.

I come closer to the tomb, I hold it with my hands at both sides. I want to tell her everything inside of me, how much I hate her for doing this, how much I miss her, and how more I can miss her. My throat was burning from the slump that won't go out of my chest. I can hardly breathe from the tears that were blocking my nose. I' m so upset I don't know what to tell or do anymore.

_Lili, what am I going to do now? You're the brains right? Answer me….how do I live on now? How can I forgive myself for letting you die?_

I wail at her tomb, my tears slide down in its marble body. I embraced it, I had to hold on something or I'll limp down to the floor. It would be better if I just loose life here, if I continue to not breathe from the pain stabbing my heart and the tears clogging my nose. It would be better if once I close my eyes, I'll see her next to me when I open them again. Everything right now would be better if I can be with her.

* * *

At the Fuchu Prison, way back at Tokyo, Japan, criminals who've done the baddest of the bad are brought here.

For those who done a meager bad, they are placed in room cells, the prison cells that look like the living room of a low class family, but it has a private toilet room and the door is like any door found at your house. For those whose works are considered evil, they are placed in the bar cells, the one's with only a double deck bed, an open-for-all-to-see toilet and the only entrance and exit is the full wall size, bar door.

Hwoarang and Xiayou sat at the floor, gray and cracked in many places. They've been there for two days now, and they've been striking a rebellion against the people inside the prison.

They haven't been eating anything, they only live by drinking water. They refuse to talk to anyone but to each other and keep telling the guards who patrol them that Jin is the one they should be taking arrest.

But even after two days of doing that, there's been no improvement at all.

"Damn it! Damn him! When I get out of here, I will make sure that no one will recognize his face after I beat him up!" Hwoarang punched the floor, creating more cracks on the concrete.

Xiayou moved her body to the bed, she sat there, just behind Hwoarang. She can feel the toll of not eating. Her body was thinner than ever, and her eyes were black at the sides. She moved so slowly it was evident she wasn't feeling fine. She feels dizzy with hunger.

"I think I need to eat today Hwoarang, I can't take it anymore." She admitted to the auburn head.

Hwoarang turned around, he can see how much Xiayou really needed it. "Yeah, you should. I wouldn't want any of us to die again. Damn it, Xiayou, I will really kill him if you die too, if Asuka dies too."

"I'm worried about Asuka, I don't believe she knows were here. Jin must be telling her lies about us too."

Hwoarang stands up from the floor. "Well of course he is! He's going to continue to trick her and we're just waiting here to be put to death by our charges, which seem to be adding miraculously! Or be killed by Jin personally!" Hwoarang was purposely making his voice louder, wanting the guards to hear him.

He was going to start yelling again, when a female guard appeared at their cell, she slided her wooden baton at the bars of their door, signaling them to keep quiet. Hwoarang got mad and took the baton.

The guard held it tight, it wasn't easy for Hwoarang to take it away from her, so he pulled harder. The guard got pulled with the baton, still persistently holding it. Her shoulder hits the bar door.

"Ouch" she says before turning around. Hwoarang got her in the neck collar and pulled her to the bars. Her body slammed on the bars, creating a loud banging sound.

"Hwoarang!" Xiayou said, getting off the bed and pulling his shirt. If the other guards find out what he's doing, they'll surely punish him.

"No one tells me when to quiet down, Ok!" Hwoarang yells at the guard. He tightens he's holdon her neck collar.

"Ah, fine. Let go, you're choking me" She still has her baton on the hand, but Hwoarang is holding the other end of it, she can't use it to attack him.

"Go and tell your worthless guard mates that instead of watching drama's all day, they investigate the case about Kyoto bank more, and realize that we're not the real criminals here"

The female guard places her one open hand on top of Hwoarang's arm. She's telling him to loosen his hold. She really is starting to get choked.

"I'm just a petty guard here, I don't have the power to command anyone."

"Then don't command me to stay quiet!" Hwoarang's hold on her neck collar becomes even tighter, Xiayou pulls him in the stomach, taking him away from the guard.

Hwoarang keeps on holding on to the guard, he looks at her, and he can't shake away the feeling that he's seen her before. While Xiayou tries her best to stop Hwoarang from choking the girl, Hwoarang removes his hands on the guard's collar. The girl coughs while rubbing her neck. Hwoarang stares at her more, she really is familiar.

Hwoarang let's go of the baton that the girl was holding, he takes his hand up and gets the cap of the guard.

"Hey, wait no" The girl shouts out, trying to get her cap back from Hwoarang.

Hwaorang chuckled. "I thought you were familiar." He circled the cap on his index finger.

Xiayou looked at the girl, and she realized that she knew her too.

"So, Julia, are your amazons as hopeless as we are in this prison right now?" Hwoarang mocked the girl. He was curious as to why she would be in this place, for all he knows, she's obsessed over the amazons.

Julia smiled at him. "Its nature Hwoarang, and it has more hope than you imagine, like you two have."

"Are they lifting our charges?" Xiayou asked the girl, she comes closer to the bars.

Julia shakes her head. "No, Jin is paying them to keep the charges adding. Stay here for a month, and your charges will be enough to behead you."

Xiayou and Hwoarang look horrified.

"But don't worry, you won't be staying here that long."

"And how can you say that? Did you hear them talk about us being set free?" Hwoarang asked her.

"No, that's never going to happen." Xiayou looked sad about what she said.

"Then how are we going to get out of here?" Hwoarang shakes the bar doors.

"I'll just keep this quiet, I'm working under Lars"

"Lars!" Hwoarang and Xiayou shouted, they we're in glee to hear his name.

"SHHH" Julia raised her index in front of her lips.

"So that guy is still alive!" Hwoarang sighed in relief.

"Yes and Jin's not even close to killing him. Believe it or not, but we have the upper hand here."

Hwaorang takes Julia in the wrist. "Sure, I'd like to believe you but I've had enough of traitors planning behind me. How are we sure that you're really with us?"

Julia squints her eyes, trying to think. "Hmmm" she mumbled, looking around."Oh, I know!" she exclaims before she takes something from her back pocket.

She raises a little flashlight in front of Hwoarang. Xiayou and he stared at it, before Julia clicked the switch, lighting it up.

Hwoarang removed his hand from Julia's wrist, he used it to cover his eyes from the direct light that Julia pointed at him.

"Ah, turn that off!" He yelled, trying to get the flashlight away from him.

Julia averted the flashlight downward, Hwoarang saw the green orb in his feet. He raised his head up to Julia.

"You can thank me now for helping you out at the museum" Julia gave him a warm smile while turning off the flashlight.

"Hwoarang, what does she mean?" Xiayou asked the guy, unaware what Julia was talking about.

"Alright, we trust you." He said to Julia. "We can trust her Xiayou, she helped me back then at Korea. If it weren't for her, I'd been fried by the museum alarms."

Xiayou nodded her head, she looked at Julia. "Thank you, I'm realy happy to know that we still have hope here."

"You sure have" Julia checks the surroundings, the other guards are looking at her now.  
"Well, I need to go now, the others are starting to be suspicious" Julia turns around from the bars.

"Wait" Hwoarang calls her before she leaves.

Julia looks back. "What is it Hwoarang?"

"..Thank you" He simply said.

Julia took a look at the other guards, she gave them a thumbs up to notify them that things are ok. The guards don't mind her, but they've stopped eyeing her now.

She takes this chance to come back in front of the bars, she reaches for Hwoarang's shoulder, and places her hand above it.

"Your welcome, if we get the chance, I'd like to take you to the amazons once. A little connection with nature will help with your anger management issues." Julia winks at Hwoarang and leaves the cell in a sprint.

"I do not have anger management issues! I take back my thanks to you!" He shakes the bars again, while Xiayou only laughs at him.

It felt good to laugh they both thought when they looked at each other. And it felt better now that they knew that there's a chance to overthrow things.


	34. Chapter 34

****Romak 1997:**** I'm really sorry for my honest mistake with the time lapse in the last chapter, I already fixed it. I guess I forgot to consider that fact about Monaco, thanks for pointing that out ^_^ hehe, yes I read many books, especially when it's about kings, I like stories with royalties :) and I'm a Stark, cause I'm a sucker for wolves and snow :D

**Mogkupo:** I think I couldn't post this the fastest way you'd like it to be, but thank you for always waiting :)

**AsukaEnergetic1:** If school wasn't so busy, I'd really write things faster! Jin's motives are not really mysterious, they're simpler than you think. Well, I'm glad you don't dislike Julia for Hwoa :D

**DaMastah101:** hehe, I feel relieved that no one has a problem with Julia and Hwoa :D and it's interesting to see that you all have a common theory about Steve before, and now Alisa...hmm, well let's see your theories play out :D

* * *

**34) Breaking point**

* * *

Have you ever heard about people crying themselves to sleep? I always thought that was an absurd thing, not until I did it myself.

It was already dark in the cemetery, and I continued to cry until I lost consciousness. I know I was sleeping, but I felt my body travelling. I felt wind moving pass in front of me, and leaves kept brushing my face, or was it leaves? The brush felt so familiar, it was irritating because it prickled my cheeks, but inexplicably, it was familiar.

For that moment, it's like reality subsided and dreams kicked in. But the feeling was going away slowly. I felt my body lying again, but the texture beneath me wasn't the same as the ground I'd fallen asleep on. It was still hard, but it was smooth and warmer now. I scratched my finger to it, grasping the grains and knowing that it was wood.

The wind was above me again, yet the temperature on my body was not the same throughout. At the part of my head, I felt warmer, and the surface beneath my head felt soft and bumpy.

I must be asleep and dreaming right now, but I'm curious. I'm curious about this weird sense that she's with me right now.

I try to imagine her there with me, maybe I can make her alive in my dreams, I thought. And maybe I was Lucid dreaming, because I suddenly felt a touch in the side of my face.

I quickly open my eyes, I expected to be welcomed by the sky in the open space of the cemetery, but instead, I was welcomed by her.

She was there with me, she was looking at me, smiling at me. I missed seeing her when I wake up.

I couldn't speak, I guess I'm anxious about her presence.

She let my head rest on of her lap as she played her fingers on my face and hair. She didn't speak either, and it made me more afraid to speak. Her blue eyes stopped looking ahead, she shifted her eyes to meet my eyes, and I could see my reflection on her pupils.

"Lili" I couldn't help it anymore, I wanted to call her at least.

She smiled more widely, and brushed my hair to my forehead. "Asuka, your eyes are swollen, you've been crying so much"

Oh My God, it is her, she is here with me.

I raise my hand up, trying to take her hand. She gave it to me without hesitation, enveloping my hand inside hers.

"Of course, I missed you so much" I squeezed her hand, it was warm and soft unlike the one I held at the morgue.

"I miss you more Asuka" She looked sincere and sad herself.

"Then why did you leave me? You promised you wouldn't leave me right?"

Lili shaked her head, she began to tear up, and I felt like crying when her tears ended up in my face.

"I never left you Asuka, I'm still here. I'm always here."

"Yes, because this is just my dream" I don't know if it's my tear or hers that slid down my cheek.

Lili laughed, she embraced me closer to her. "Why would you think this is your dream?"

It felt so good to have her hug me again. I put my arms around her arms. "If this isn't my dream then you have to be there when I wake up"

She giggled once more. "I will, when you wake up in bed again, I will be there."

My heart swirled in a frenzy of joy, I wouldn't know how to move on if ever this is just a dream. I believed her, mostly because I wanted this to be true, and second because I trust her.

She embrace me more tightly before letting me go and standing up from the chair. I look at her intently, afraid to lose sight of her again.

"Asuka, what did I tell you about this flowers?" She took something out from her back, it was the lily flower that I had brought to the grave. "As long as you have me, you don't need these around" She said, breaking the flower stem in two and crushing the head into powder.

The milled petals blew with the wind, and I could clearly smell their distinct odor. The way they circled around me made me forget about Lili, and I got scared once I realized that. I move my head to look for her, and I was glad when I saw her standing in front of me.

She kneeled down at my side, and brushed my hair again.

"Asuka, you better wake up now."

"No, I don't want to wake up if you're not there" I try to fight my systems, even when I don't feel sleepy, I try to be. I want to continue being in this place.

Lili disagreed with me, she held my hand and patted it. "I will be there Asuka. I promise" She held me at the neck and leaned me closer to her. She kissed me softly, and long, and I kissed her back. But I couldn't keep up with her calm pace, I kissed her harder, I longed for her so much, and I wanted to feel her more while I still can.

"Please do what you promised Lili, be there when I wake up." I told her desperately, so that she knows how much I need her.

"I will, Asuka, I will." She gave me another kiss, then she slipped out to the trees. Tall thick trees surrounding the little wooden chair and post I was lying down on.

And now I wonder as I'm awake and walking down the hills, was all of that true?  
She was never there when I woke up, but I found the broken stem of the lily beneath my chair, and the petals were scattered at the floor. I don't remember going to that wood post, but maybe I was too tired and depressed to remember anything at all.

Though I am glad I remember every detail of my encounter with her.

* * *

Bang bang bang

Hwoarang woke up from the noise he was hearing. He was sleeping at the first compartment of the double-deck, making him closer to the source of the banging. The bang was metallic and he knew without seeing that it came from the bars of the door.

He moved lazily, not because he was disturbed of sleep but because he felt weak in the body. Today is the third day he hasn't been eating anything, he's only been drinking water. His first thought for today was to finally take in the prison food they give him and Xiayou.

It was his idea to not eat and he dragged Xiayou with him because he thinks that eating that food was an admittance of their lost and he hated losing to Jin. Also, he believed that one way or another Jin was going to kill them too, so maybe the food was poisoned or worse, what if it had drugs that will make them susceptible to Jin. Hwoarang didn't want to give in to any of those chances but yesterday, his doubts and worries were mildly lifted.

Xiayou ate the food yesterday and nothing had happened to her except changing more to her old enegetic self. She told Hwoarang to eat already too, but he still had the strength to decline it last night. He's food didn't go to waste anyways, for Xiayou was so hungry, she was a bit happy that Hwoarang let her eat his share.

Bang bang bang

Hwoarang was at the door now and he can see a familiar someone crouched down at the end of the door, banging her baton on the bars.

"Hey, we're sleeping here" He felt annoyed that not only is he hungry but he's also deprived of sleep because of this woman's banging at the bars.

"You're finally awake, come here" Julia said with a smile, waving her hand for Hwoarang to crouch down in front of her.

_Finally awake? So she really did want to ruin my sleep. _

Hwoarang thought, he looked at Julia all shinning and jolly with a plastic next to her. He sighed to the ceiling before coming to the edge of the doors, crouching down in front of Julia.

"What do you want?" He asks, he's head facing the opposite direction of where Julia is.

Julia puts her hands inside the white plastic bag next to her, she scurries it and brings out sandwiches wrapped in tissue.

"Here" She hands it to him.

Hwoarang was hesitant to accept it, feeling embarrassed, but he's stomach growled just at the sight of cheese, mayo and some vegetables oozing out between two thick layers of bread.

The growl of his stomach was loud and churning, Julia's close proximity to him made it most audible for her. She gave a tinker laugh and became more persuasive in giving the sandwich to him.

"I'm full, my stomachs growling because of being so full" Hwoarang lied, and he cursed his ego for lying when he's acids are twisting his belly inside.

"Yeah, nice try but I know you're just acting tough. Come on, you've already proved yourself to be the master of fasting." Julia undid the tissue wrap from the sandwich she smirked at Hwoarang before forcefully shoving the bread into his mouth.

The flavor of the vegetables and spreads inside the sandwich exploded in his mouth, this was enough for him to hell with his ego. He held the sandwich with both hands and munched it down to the very last bite. It didn't take him less than half a minute to finish the first sandwich. Julia handed him one sandwich after another, and he didn't even realized that he's already eaten so much if not for Julia telling him that she's all out now.

"I'm sorry I should've made more" She looked disappointed.

"Tsk, no that was good enough. I can finally feel my weight now" Hwoarang stretch his feet, it didn't feel light anymore. "In a way, this is like saving my life too, I thought I was going to die from hunger today."

"I know, you can't see it, but you really look hungry even if you hide it. Your eyes are always bulging at the sight of food."

Hwoarang laughed. "Embarrassing"

"You know it right"

"So did you actually made those for me? You could've at least made rice or either put more ketchup in it."

Julia looked astonished, she heralded her head sideways. "Well, welcome for appreciating my efforts. But I only did that because my job is to keep the two of you alive here."

"What is Lars even going to pay you for this job of yours?"

"Money. He'd give me money to continue my research for the amazons."

Hwoarang nods his head, somewhat understanding her now. "Thanks to your amazons then, they've been keeping me alive for long now."

"Ah huh, thanks also for your once in a blue moon good words."

"Hey, I was sincerely giving you thanks there, don't go ruining it by being sarcastic to me."

Julia raises her two hands in the air. "Oh, right, equal grounds"

"Yeah, that's more like it." Hwoarang puts up his right hand and squeezes it out of the bars. He raises it in front of Julia, at the level of her neck in a clutched fist position.

"Bro fist, it's how I really say thank you" Hwoarang told her, shaking his fist. Julia copied him and lifted her hand, she wasn't naïve to this, and she knew that all she need to do was to punch their fists lightly. Like close brothers do.

Hwoarang smiled when she saw her smile too. Sounds around the place came to rise up, more people were waking up in the cells and the other guards are starting the morning roll call.

They both heard the start of the morning routines. Julia stood up from the edge of door, the same time as Hwoarang. She folded the plastic with the tissue garbage, planning to throw it out so that no one will find out that she gave him some food. Hwoarang watched as she fixed herself to look like a strict and serious guard.

"You can still catch some sleep" Julia said, back facing Hwoarang.

"Sure I will. Thanks again for the food. I was kidding, you're sandwiches _were_ good."

Julia smiled behind him before turning around. She poke her hand inside the bars, sliding her fingers close to Hwoarang's lips.

"I know, you wouldn't have these many bread crumbs if you didn't enjoy them. Sleep tight, Hwoarang" She said before walking away from him.

Hwoarang felt a shiver at his back and front, a sudden tickle and a heat that persisted after it.

* * *

Jin is sitting alone at the dining table at the dojo in Tokyo. He sits there, waiting for Asuka to come back. His head is down, he's hands are covering his ears and he tries his best to keep his eyes closed.

He murmurs sounds of suppressed pains. The veins at his neck are embossing through his skin. The clutch of his hands pull the end strands of his hair.

_Stop it_

_Stop it_

He's voice is husky. Sweat drizzle down to the dinning table, his forehead was full of sweat. He recounts memories, both happy and melancholic, causing his emotions to stir up.

_"Do you want to know the truth Asuka?"_

The bad things seem to win over his mind.

_"It's your fault"_

Jin's head hurt so much, he was grinding his teeth against one another.

_Stop it_

_I don't want to this anymore_

He tries to fight the bad that's coming out of him, but soon he realizes that he's stuck in his memories again. One particular memory has haunted him for all its wrong reasons. He had done so many worse things, but the pain in that memory was something that always bothered him significantly. You can try and hurt and kill people, like he's done before, directly and indirectly, but he knows there's a greater source of pain. He had lost someone before, his mother was taken from him without a fight. That lost had been he's biggest sorrow, and he knows by experience that the grief of taking someone's love was something far more unbearable. Lost can be healed but it takes years, and many efforts to try and forget, and even when you've gotten over that, the lost will always leave a mark on you.

Yes, he has taken many people's loved ones, but this was something directly connected to him. He had taken the love one of someone who has given him the privilege of being a family.

"I have never had a family except for my mother." He said so as he tried to calm down the bad that was taking over him.

He's conscience kills him inside as he knows that not only did he kill Lili, he also made Asuka take the blame for her death.

At that time after he had told Hwoarang that Lili is gone, he had expected him to tell the news to Asuka. He was right. The moment he entered Asuka's room, the bad in him took over almost instantly. He had the earphones he used in the van at his pocket, and inside those earphones, he recorded he's chat with Lili.

He saw Asuka lying at the bed, blankets on top of her. He called her name, but it took a lot of repeats before Asuka responded, sitting up in the bed.

"I saw the news" She said in a torrid voice.

Part of him was sad, but the dominating evil inside him was thrilled. He liked the pain to eat up Asuka.

"I'm sorry." He told her, making his voice sound constrained and heavily affected.

Asuka shooks her head. "No, it's not your fault anyways" She looked more somber, like she actually wanted to have someone to blame.

He saw through her voice, he saw through her expression, she wanted to have something to vent on the lost.

"I think you need to know something, Asuka" By this time, he was stopping his heart from beating crazy with excitement. He wanted to stop this from happening, but the bad in him was winning again.

"What?" Asuka's head rose up, of course she would be curious, and that was good for him.

"This is something Lili didn't want you to know, but do you want to know the truth, Asuka?"

"The truth about what?" Asuka's eyes burst in perfect circles.

"About her death, why she really died."

Asuka was taken aback, her hands gripped the blankets on her feet. She was afraid to hear it, he evaluated. He didn't like to continue this anymore, seeing her face was enough to let him know that he's going to change her.

Let her know this and you will break her forever! He tried to tell his head, but his bad side had won already. He plays the record of the conversation. It was not the full conversation at all, it was cropped and edited to sound like a dramatic last message.

"Thank you Jin, thank you for helping us…" The line was cutting and the voice sounded disconnected.

Asuka was listening with full focus.

"Asuka and the others will still be there…." The recording starts to have wider cracks and cuts.

"I'm sorry, the recording isn't good" He said, trying to sound more realistic. Asuka was too indulge in what she was hearing, not minding him at all.

"I'll die here, to save Asuka." The audio playing ended shortly after that.

"I know she saved me."

"It's not just that Asuka, she didn't have a choice. It's either you died or her, and she chose you."

Silence.

"Asuka" he tried to call her name after a long silence.

"Then that means it's my fault. It's all my fault."

"Yes, it's your fault." He didn't try to hide excitement anymore, he's words slipped out in the voice of a devil, reeling in the broken girl into more despair.

Asuka's look turned into a new kind of torment, she looked like she wanted to cry, but she never did. She had forgotten that someone was in the room with her, and she had let herself drown in self guilt and self blame. All the while, he waits for another chance to attack her.

"She believed that we can finish the job that she can't anymore, especially you Asuka."

"I…I will." Asuka answered him without second thoughts.

"It's my fault she died, and I will do everything to finish what we all started. I will. No matter what it takes."

The devil in him hooted and rehoiced, he has won again! Yet the real him was torn inside, how can things ever be fixed now?

-0-

"Jin"

Asuka called the guy, sitting at the dining table, sweating hard and mumbling something repeatedly.

He looked at her, and his two sides fight again. He wanted to be set free now, but his tongue was tied.

"Asuka" He could only manage.

"You should've opened the windows if you were warm." Asuka took the sit in front of him. He realized that the windows in the second floor were all opened. The winds of the afternoon are gushing at them now.

"I just came back from the airport… Xiayou and Hwoarang aren't back yet huh?"

Jin shook his head. "No, they said something about quitting the Alliance. I guess they were traumatized by all the happenings lately."  
There it is again, lie after lie after lie. He cursed himself _forget about telling her the truth, there's now way she'd ever forgive for all you did. _

"They quitted?" Asuka's face was full of doubt, her tone was a big question.

"They haven't been in contact since before you left for Lili's funeral. I don't know if they would quit or not, but I won't quit."

"I'm not quitting either." Asuka stared at Jin, she's doubtful of what he's saying about Xiayou and Hwoarang. She doesn't believe that they'll quit just because of what happened lately, or more importantly, why would they quit without even telling her?

"When will we start then?" Jin asked her, pertaining to the mission they planned ahead.

Asuka stood up from her chair, she turned away from him. "I feel like doing it now" She said, and Jin was more than happy to agree.

* * *

"They're doing the mission today" Steve announced to the gallery of strategist inside the conference room.

Lars, Lee, Anna and Alisa all looked at him.

"Excellent, this is earlier than we expected!" Lee said, raising a glass of red wine.

"Finally, the action is going to start" Anna and him made cheers.

"Alisa, do the calculations on Asuka's exact arrival time, we need to get there at the same time as her."

"Yes, Lars, please give me a minute" The android goes to the laptop and spontaneously types like the wind.

"Steve go to the Fuchu prison, tell Julia the information and help her get those two out of prison."

"Roger" Steve nods his head, running fast as soon as her gets the order.

"Wait, Steve" Lars calls him back.

"What is it?"

"Don't tell those two about it yet"

"I understand"

Alisa shouts out from across the room. "The calculations are done Lars, ETA will be in forty-five (45) minutes. Landing directly at the gate of the treasury."

"Good, we can make it in time."

"I guess we'll prepare the plans now, and ready everyone." Anna walked across the room, holding Lee's hand and dragging him with her.

"If this actually becomes a success, I might thank you, Anna"

Anna smirked at Lars. "Don't worry, it will. I have confidence in what Lee and I created.

"Julia! Julia!" Steve scared most of the people in the prison, he ran, excited about the news he is bringing.

At the back of the prison, the place where the lower bar cells are, Julia sat in front of Hwoarang and Xiayou, outside their were eating while chatting at that time. Actually, Hwoarang and Julia were chatting, Xiayou was merely listening.

"Yeah, I'm a very good cook too" Hwoarang said in a high aired aura. He was obviously elevating himself in the chat.

"Wow, that's great, I'd like to taste your cooki-in— Ah" Steve had saw Julia, and he jumped next to her as fast as possible. He shook her in both arms and yelled her name repeatedly.

Hwoarang and Xiayou were surprised to see the boxer appear out of nowhere.

"Julia! Julia!" Steve raise his hands at Julia's shoulders shaking her again. The poor girl was shook so hard, her cap fell off and her guard uniform was all ruined.

Hwoarang got annoyed of the boxer, running their nice chat, and suddenly taking Julia's attention away. He took out his hands in between the gap of the bars. The boxer was still caught up in shaking the already shaken Julia, so he didn't notice it when Hwoarang took him by the collar, and pulled him to the bars.

Hworang purposely hits his face hard on the bars.

"Steve, what the hell are you doing to her?"

Steve's sight went blur for a few seconds, his temples ached from banging the bars so hardly. "I… I was just going to say something to her…"

"Oh, really? How about us Steve? Aren't you going to say anything to me or Xiayou?" Hwoarang was snickering evilly, he bang Steve's head again on the bars.

The boxer yelped in pain, but Hwoarang wasn't going to be sorry for him. "Man, you just disappeared when all shit started, and now you show up, trying to take away the only sane conversation I'm having here! Damn you, Man"

Hwoarang pushes and pulls Steve back and forth to the bars. The clanging of the steels were loud and echoing in the back of the prison. Xiayou felt like stopping Hwoarang, but she could understand his feelings, she too was mad of Steve suddenly going no show. On the other hand, Julia was still dizzy from too much shaking to help Steve out.

After a few more hits of his face to the rusty steel bars, Steve was able to push his body away from Hwaorang. He pressed his arms against the auburn head's chest and tried to move away from him. When Hwoarang let him go, he was left with so much impact, he ended up falling on his back to the floor. It took another few seconds before the pain in his face started aching again.

"Aw, man, Hwoarang, you've gone crazy" Steve gently pressed on the pain at his temples and nose.

"Shut up, I'm not crazy! I'm mad!"

Steve tried to stand up from the floor, but he had a hard time because of the heavy feeling in his head. Julia was about to crawl to him, clearly on her way to help him, but Hwoarang noticed her move.

"Julia, no, if you help him, I will not talk to you anymore"

Julia stopped, her eyebrows raised up._ That's a scary warning_ she sarcastically told herself, but even so, she was still affected by it. She stopped moving, but she still looked at Steve.

"No, Julia, come here, I need to tell you something important" Steve waved up his hand, his voice was sounding sleepy.

Julia had a hunch that it was information from Lars, she looked at Hwoarang, he was still against it.

"I'm sorry, Hwoarang, just this time, Ok?" She run to Steve before Hwoarang could react another word. Steve was still having a hard time to move too much so he had to whisper the news to Julia.

He fell asleep as soon as he was done talking and Julia was ecstatic.

"Guys, guess who's coming out of prison today?" Julia took out the keys at a pocket in Steve's pants, she raises it up in front of the two innocent prisoners, both confused, but undeniably glad.

* * *

The treasury, a separated office for artifacts worth big amounts of money. Located remotely at a stand alone island with one way in and one way out-the ceiling.

In order to get inside the treasury, you don't need a boat to cross the ocean, what you need is a private helicopter that you can fly above the ceiling of the Treasury.

Jin lent Asuka his private helicopter, and driver. As exactly as Alisa's calculations, Asuka landed inside the gate of the treasury in forty-five (45) minutes after she rides the helicopter.

The chopper leaves her on the ceiling of the treasury, it will come back later when she gets the thing she needs.

But Lars has just arrived at the other end of the treasury's ceiling, with him is Alisa, Lee, and Anna. They do nothing but to watch Asuka's actions, while the latter has no idea that she's not alone.

But more company are coming. Another chopper arrives, a big black one. It hovers next to Lars's helicopter, signaling white lights to land on the ground. The chopper door opens, revealing five men in tight black uniforms and scooter helmets, the one at the center had belts of gun ammo strapped all over his body. He walked first before the four and approached Lars.

"Are you sure your man can handle her?" Lars look at the four men, they're big and muscled, but for a fighter like Asuka, being big is not what matters.

"If they can't handle her, I know I can." The person's voice was deep, and robotic under his big helmet.

"This is Asuka, we're talking about."

"I know. Trust me Lars, I can win over her."

Lars nods his head, he moves aside, giving way for the five men to leave and follow Asuka.

What is Asuka there for? Why is it so important to stop her from getting it? Are the new company a good thing or a bad thing?

_To be continued._


	35. Chapter 35

****Romak 1997: ****Cliffhangers are the best in some ways :D but not always XD haha, Asuka in some weird drug is another different story. Also, you don't get your cookie because well, you'll know it when you read it :P****  
****

****AsukaEnergetic1: ****Yeah, I keep making things worst with confusion but hopefully that's going to stop soon because this story is near it's ending, I can't keep hiding everything :P

**DaMastah101: **Well Jin/Devil Jin conflict always is a core device in his character ;) and don't underestimate Lee and Anna's creation, it's cooler and better than you think! and your guess about robot voice was a good one, but still not correct...well, you'll know it here :)

* * *

**35) Lost, gains and Apologies**

* * *

Asuka can see the center post below the transparent glass ceiling of the treasury. The treasury's treasure are all hidden underground, and the post that Asuka is staring at is where the entrance to the underground is.

The Treasury is made up of sand colored bricks, with vines growing everywhere. The scent in the place smelled like the jungle ashore the ocean.

Asuka moved closer to the center post, she can now see the door in its center. She stomps her feet at the ceiling, it was thick and strong, it didn't sound like glass, rather, it sounded like hard plastic.

She had double thoughts about breaking the ceiling, so she looked for another way to get down. She walked close to the right end, near the place where Lars is hiding from her.

But Lars wasn't going to get discovered, he had seen this coming. Asuka was still at a big distance from Lar's location when she noticed a circular hole at the ceiling. She bent down and looked below. There was nothing wrong with the hole and she didn't have time to be suspicious about why the hole exists there.

She stands up and jumps down the hole. Her blue boots hit solid on the ground, creating a big mist of fog. She fan her hands, trying to get the fog away. She walked slowly and cautious, most of her sight was still distracted by the fog.

By the time that she reached the door at the center post, the fog had left her. The door was tall and lean, made of silver and white steel, illuminating like a marble. There wasn't any lock on the door, there was only a card slider at its very center.

For a big company like the Mishima Zaibatsu, it was easy to get a copy of the card that they needed to open this door. One blackmail was all it took for the half black and half gray hard coated card to be in Jin's hands, and now on Asuka's.

She lifts her hand up, raising the card to the slider. Half of the card was inside now and the door was slighty lighting up in the corners, indicating that it was accepting the card code. A high pressured cold wind comes out as the door unlocks, swinging wide open in front of Asuka.

"Well, that was easy" Asuka said, looking around the area. It's weird, she told herself. It was weird how easy this mission is. For a place that held so many valuables, you would expect it to be highly guarded and full of traps, but this was even easier to enter than a museum.

Asuka shrugged it off, of course she liked how this would go easier than she expected. She moved to the center of the door, feeling the cold wind inside of it, seeing the white walls and the glossy blue tile floors. She was about to enter the treasure chest, her one foot was already stepped inside.

But suddenly, a fast gunshot fires, it hits the floor, so close to Asuka's right foot that she felt the heat of it's landing.

"Stop right there" the deep, robotic voice yells out.

Asuka turns around, she see's the five men, and she knows exactly who shot her. Among the five men, only one of them had a gun, and a full house of ammo. The tallest one of the five was at the center, his gun is still held up, he's head is still tilted down to the front sight of the handgun.

"You guys are too late" Asuka turns back around, she tries to track inside the door but she didn't reach it. Three more gunshots hit the card slider before she could even put all her body inside, the door malfunctions and closes alone. Asuka had no other choice but to step away, or else be squashed alive.

"Surrender now" The robotic voice yells again.

Asuka bit her lower lip, she wasn't in the mood to be patient. She took her chances and run directly to the center man, but the other four held her back at different parts of her body.

Her temper rises, her arms start to swing off the men one by one. Over and over, the four would come back to rise and try to attack her. Asuka would kick them and punch them in her signature styles, flying them, blowing them away. But they were tough, they always stood up after every attack, and they were tougher enough to even attack back at Asuka.

Asuka watches the man in the center, doing nothing but to look at how she could bypass the four. This sends more anger at Asuka, she takes the head of one of the four, she's tired of just punching, so she lifts her knee and hits the man's helmet to it. The impact was clearly strong, the man's helmet broke in two, revealing his face. He was bleeding in the nose from the pressure of being squished by his broken helmet. Asuka gives him a swift sidekick in the face, blood covers the ground he lands stops moving as soon as both his feet lays flat on the ground.

That was one down, now three to go.

Asuka was attacked at the same time by the other two men, they were good at strangling their opponents but Asuka wasn't easy to strangle. She wormed nonstop and kept dragging the two with her as she moved closer to the center man.

She grabs on the arms of the two men that were wrapped below her armpits, she clutches tight on the men's biceps. Now the three of them were fighting over who was a tighter compressor. The veins in the biceps of the men were growing out of their tight black uniform making Asuka know that she was winning.

She presses harder on the muscles of the two guys who both scream in pain when she twist their arms along with a big bone crushing press. The sound of tendons ripping was as loud as the men's hold on Asuka flunks down without another fight, they tried to feel their arms that were damaged, but they couldn't even make it move from intense pain. They fell down to the floor, shaking.

Asuka jumps above them and comes face to face with the person at the middle. She wanted to say something but her attention is caught by the strange scent around him. There was a distinguishable odor that Asuka couldn't place her tongue on. She recognized it but she couldn't decipher what it is, for the smell was also covered in the smell of metal and copper, wrapped all around the helmet figures body.

"This is your last chance, surrender now" The figure covered in ammo told her

Asuka ignores what he said, she had no intention to listen at all. Her hands had molded into a fist now, and she launched it up, aiming for the helmet in front of her. She was expecting to surprise him, but she was the one who got surprised.

Her punch missed and hit the air, the person had ducked down and punch her first in the stomach before her fist could even reach him. She bent down by the pressure of the punch on her abdomen, the helmet figure just watched her, doing nothing. Asuka tried to endure the pain, she moved her feet and tried to kick the person in the thighs but he jumped up and landed behind her, Asuka got mad, she turned around and planned to kick him sideways but he moved the other way, as if knowing exactly where that kick would land.

"Damn it!" Asuka yelled out, she attacked again, this time using a fast uppercut, but the person catches it in his hand and twisted Asuka along with it. She ended up rolling to the ground, and now both her hand and stomach ached, but she still wasn't going to give up.

She stood up fast like there was no pain in her at all. She launched herself, ready to toss that person with a mighty open double hand punch, but he slides down, crossing between Asuka's legs and tripping her back to lie on the floor. The person stood up, his single standing man came to him.

"We can just shoot her now" the man tells his acting leader.

"No, she still has game" He tells him. "Stand back, she's coming again"

The man ran away from the two, and he saw from a distance how Asuka came back to attacking his boss multiple times, in defeat.

Asuka tried kicking up, down, left, right, and even turning, but it's like the person always knew what she was planning to do. He'd get to dodge her first before she can complete her attack, and in the end, she always ends up falling back to the back was the most painful now, but she continued to try to punch him if he can dodge her kicks, but he was faster with the punches. Asuka backs away after seeing that nothing she does was going to work in beating up this guy. Even a combination of combo's wasn't enough to keep him distracted, he knew her every move. Just an inch of a lift on her feet and he would know he was going to be attacked upwards and as soon as she slighty turns around, he knows that he's going to get kicked in the thighs. He could even copy the attack she just did and use it against her. It was like fighting herself, and she was losing to an impostor.

"Unless you bring me down, this fight isn't gonna end. You can't dodge my attacks forever." Asuka rubs her face filled with sweat, she was so tired now and her whole body was starting to feel sour.

The helmet figure laughs, even his laugh was robotic. "You truly are a crazyhead!" He attacks first this time. He takes Asuka's hand and head at the same time, and reels her down to her knees on the floor. She puts Asuka's head to a bow, not letting her raise it at all.

"And it didn't have to end up like this if you just surrendered from the start" The helmet figure dugs his gloved hands on Asuka's hair.

"Like hell I'd give up!" Asuka wiggled her head, she was curious what he was scrambling on her hair. A small circular gadget drops to the floor right below Asuka's head. She stares at it, seeing it blink in a red light.

The helmet figure kicks it off her sight making it slide meters away from them.

Miles away from that very place, the source of that little gadget watched the moment happen in horror.

"He knows we're watching" Nina says aloud, looking at Jin who was sitting with his head resting above his hands.

"That must be Lars" Jin comments.

He and Nina look at how Asuka is trying to escape the grasp of the helmet figure, she was vehemently moving, but soon her hands were clasped in a magnetic chain by her captor.

Asuka can't move now, the magnetic field running in her body was making her bones hard to move. She couldn't see what the person was doing behind her but she could hear the sound of an ammo being inserted in a gun. She was right, within seconds the hole of the long mouthed Black Hand gun was aimed at her head. The trigger was still up, the person's finger was waiting to push it down.

_Lili, did you know it from the start? Did you already know that I was soon going to meet you there? Is that why you told me you'd be there when I wake up again?_

Asuka hears the clicking of the trigger, the hole pressed on her head was beginning to feel hot. She closed her eyes, and heard the loud shot of the gun before her face fell down to the floor. She saw blood streaming down her eyes, wetting the floor where her head rested. She looked at the little gadget far from her, wondering if Jin could see everything, if he was going to save her.

Her breathing started to run out, she felt like choking in the chest, and by the next minute, she felt her eyes become so heavy. She fights the urge to close them, but only one of her eye remained opened. She started to loose sensation, she can't analyze where the helmet figure was, and her sight was becoming double and blurry. The aches in her body have gone, and now all she could feel was numbness.

Her sight was starting to get dark, her eyes are unconsciously closing now. She can hardly hear anything anymore, and all that run into her mine was that she was dying now.

_Lili, when you told me you'd be there when I wake up in bed again, were you actually talking about my death-bed?_

Asuka's eyes both closed and her whole body had stopped moving in the floor.

Jin stares at his screen, eyes all opened.

"I don't think that's Lars, he wouldn't kill her." Nina turned off the screen, seeing how Jin has become flabbergasted in front of it.

_No….not another one!_ Jin screamed inside of him. He slammed his hands on the desk in front of him, he was silent in the outside.

A banging came into the door of the room they were in. Nina orders the door to be opened, immediately three of Jin's men came in, all armed and black.

"We have a report on our captives in the Fuchu Prison." One man from the three spoke up.

Jin's attention changed quickly. "What is it!" He yells out.

"The prisoner's are gone" The man said in a sad tone.

Nina looks confused. "How did they escape?"

The three men shake their heads together. "They didn't escape, they died in the prison, from hunger."

Jin fell on his butt to the floor, he scratched his head. "No" he said in a tone that was badly convincing himself.

"Are you sure about this news?" Nina asked the three.

"Yes, Ma'am, they're corpses are being taken at this very moment"

"NO!" Jin shouts out, he stands up and punches the three men that was blocking the door. They hit the floors with their mouths bleeding at the side.

"Jin!" Nina calls out to him as he runs quickly out of the building.

"It can't be!" He stumbles many times because of how weak his knees has become. His heart was beating nervously. It took him thirty or maybe forty minutes to get to the prison from his HQ in Tokyo, and he didn't care about his change in the taxi anymore.

When he saw two ambulances parked at the gate of the prison, he felt like killing himself right there. He walked slowly to one of the vehicles and he saw the nurses setting up the white blankets above the body of a girl.

He stands in front of the back of the ambulance, staring at the body. The nurses notice him and asks him if he knows the person. He doesn't answer, and the nurses look a one another, they nod their heads and come down from the car.

"Go on, it's ok" One of the female nurse encourages Jin. He started to climb the ambulance, he was slipping and the nurses had to help him lift his body correctly. When he got up inside the car, he was holding on the rail of the stretcher.

He pulled down the blanket that was covering the girl's face. The nurses heard him sob as he stared at the face of the girl lying dead on the stretcher.

One of the male nurses climb up the ambulance and covers Xiayou's face with the blanket again.

"It's going to be alright" The nurse tells him, tapping him lightly in the shoulder.

"No, it's all my fault! Everything's my fault!" Jin pushes the nurse away, he takes Xiayou's limp body on his arms and embraces her. He supported her stiff body with his hands on her back and neck, and cried at the fabrics between their faces.

"Xiao, I'm so sorry, I love you, I really love you"

The nurses at the place bowed down their heads, and remained quiet, they let him mourn for the love he had lost without confessing.

* * *

People often wonder what happens as soon as you die. Some believe that you wake up in the afterlife, and some say that you just suddenly become a soul without the need of waking up. But normally, waking up happens to those who are alive.

Asuka wakes up, feeling so heavy in the head. She see's the person in a big helmet, standing at the footboard of the bed.

"What are you doing there?" Asuka asks the person. She scratches her head, expecting a big bandage somewhere.

"I didn't shoot you. It was only a trick" the person tells her, again, its like he knows her every move.

Asuka lays down in relief, she thought about why he had to do an awful trick like that, but she can't deny the fact that she's happy she's alive. She still can't see her Lili, but she knows she needs to live to continue something her girlfriend couldn't. She clears her mind and remembers that the person was still looking at her from the footboard.  
"So am I your enemy or what?" Asuka asked, curious about the person's intention on her. He didn't kill her and it looks like he was actrually looking after her inside the room. A part in Asuka told her that this person wasn't a bad guy.

"You were before" The robotic voice answered her with a small laugh at the end.

"You know, for a man you're a real coward. You either only dodged my attacks or copy them." Asuka said without looking at the person, she was busy trying to feel if the ache's of her body were still persisting.

The helmet figure laughed harder. He took Asuka's attention in one question. "Who even told you I'm a man?"

Asuka stopped stretching her body in the bed, she stared at the helmet figure.

"My body must have looked baggy because of these ammo's and this voice changer really makes me sound like a robot." The helmet figure clicks on the mouthpiece at the front of the head covering. The lights of the helmet shut down. Now the voice continued to talk, but it sounded human, and soft, it sounded like a girl's voice.

Asuka's eyes bulged, she recognized that voice however faint it was under the big helmet. The now confirmed girl under the big helmet, took away all the straps of ammo chained on her whole body. Asuka starts to stare at the body standing in front of her, it was lean and tall, the curves were magnificent and the humps in the chest are clear indicators that this person is a woman.

And not just any woman. The girl took off her helmet, her hair slides down in locks of blonde, some strands covered her face, so she lifted her right hand and whipped them to the back.

"Now tell me Asuka, you were asking me awhile ago about what I was doing here. Didn't I tell you I'd be there with you the next time that you wake up in bed?"

Asuka's head felt dizzy, she covered her eyes with her palms. Her head moved left to right. "You must be joking me right?" Asuka started to sob on her palms. She couldn't take this surreal moment anymore.

She was sure she isn't dreaming because she had been biting her tongue since the person's voice started sounding like Lili's. She also realized that the familiar scent she'd been smelling from this person was Lili's. Her sight was still in the dark, and her ears were filled with self echoes of trying to escape this surreal moment. She hadn't realized the figure that had sat in front of her, and slowly reached to hug her. Without her noticing, she had been taken into a tight embrace.

"Asuka" The voice called her name, feelings of longing reverberated in Asuka's ears. She took away her wet - teared palms and encircled her arm around the waist of the person she missed the most to hold.

"Lili!" She yelled with cross hatched feelings of glee and overwhelms. "Lili, Lili, Lili" She shaked both their bodies with the intensity of her embrace and her need to embrace even familiar touch, this familiar warmth in her chest, Asuka is sure now that this is her Lili.

"Really, didn't you recognize it when I called you crazyhead? I like calling you that don't I?"

Asuka stops crying and suddenly all rationality hits her. She pushes Lili away and starts to become furious.

"I hate you" She tells Lili.

"Yes, I understand that" Lili looked away before continuing to talk. "But I only did everything I did because I wanted to protect you Asuka."

Asuka's chest cringed. "I know, I heard it from a recording that Jin made me hear. I felt so guilty of myself Lili, I thought I killed you."

Lili looked back at Asuka, she placed her hands, firm around Asuka's neck.

"No Asuka, if I did die there, it would never be your fault. It would be Jin's, everything is his fault."

"He scammed us?" Asuka asked, not looking surprised. She had doubted him and this only proves her suspicions.

"Yes, all of us Asuka"

Asuka took Lili's hands and slid them down off her neck. "You scammed us too Lili. You were alive all this time, and you made us, ME, believe that you were dead."

"Because I had to stick with the plan Asuka, I didn't just live because I did something of a miracle in that fire exit, I lived because they saved me and I had to go with their plans"

"Who saved you? What plans are you talking about?"

The loudness of Asuka's yell had alarmed the people who have been quietely standing outside. The blue door of the room opens, with Lars, Lee and Anna standing together outside.

"Asuka, calm down, we can explain everything to you." Lars comes close to the bed where the two girls were sitting on.

"And you, you just disappeared without a sight Lars!" Asuka pointed her finer at the spiky heared blonde. "You think I'd be happy to see you just because you saved my girlfriend. No! Lars, how could you hide something as important as that?"

"Woah, woah, calm down there" Anna came between Asuka and Lars.

"Why are you here?" Asuka asks the bob hair.

"Oh, it was mine and Lee's courtesy to help your girlfriend learn the gun and get her costumes ready my dear." Anna answered Asuka with a snickering laugh at the end, somehow obviously wanting to infuriate her more.

Lili can feel the atmosphere becoming toxic, Asuka was starting to lose patience. She would not calm down unless she gets her answers and with all of them trying to speak in one room, the whole story is not just going to come out right.

"Ok, stop it. Lars, Anna, Lee just leave the room. I can tell her everything."

The three people nod their head and comes back out of the room. The door locks and Asuka begins to move and stand uo from her bed.

"Wait, Asuka" Lili stops her, holding her in the wrist.

"No, Lili, explaining is never going to be enough! Do you know how many people got hurt because of your selfish plans? Do you even know how hard your father cried for you? How down Xiayou and Hwoarang were? How close I got in contact with craziness because of mixed guilt and despair?"

"We just need to continue this plan and we'll win the whole war, Asuka."

"Plans! Plans! Plans! I lost you because of all that planning and fighting, can't we just stop already? Haven't you had enough of facing death Lili?"

"Asuka, even if we did stop fighting, even if we hid at the farthest of the mountains, he'd look for us, we'd never live silently until we stop him."

Asuka stared at Lili, she stopped talking but her expression was evidently bitter. She squeezed both her hands and bit her lip. She set her eyes straightly looking at Lili's.

"I will never forgive you if you leave me again, I promise you, if you actually die on me, I will personally revive and rekill you. I don't care how well this plans of yours are working but it sucks when it involves making people believe that you're dead."

Lili pulls Asuka into an embrace. "Yeah, It does suck"

"You're not off the hook yet you know, you have a lot of explaining to do Lili"

"I know, but just let me stay like this for a little longer." Asuka sighed but she was extremely exultant to let Lili just embrace her. She missed her so much and it melts her heart to have her back like this.

* * *

"Lars, Alisa…Lee, and Anna?" Xiayou stared at the two unbexpected new company.

"I'm glad all of you got out safe" Lars greeted the four new arrivals in the new secret lair.

The lair was just at the outskirts of Tokyo, camouflaged in a little forest. It looks like a worn-out factory storage at the outside, with rusting galvanized iron roofs and cracking paint in the walls.

Julia lead the way to come there, as Xiayou walked side by side with her and Hwoarang followed them from behind, supporting Steve in the arm because he was still feeling dizzy.

Hwoarang and Xiayou studied the new lair. Inside of it, the walls were gray and the floor was white. The ceiling was very high and large blue pipes were exposed throughout it. The windows were covered by black felt papers and other than their voices, the sound of computer engines were the only noise inside the building.

"Do you have a chair here somewhere?" Hwoarang asked. He had the feeling that Steve really need to lie down.

"I'll take him to one of the rooms" Lars volunteered. Hwoarang didn't mind, he happily passed Steve to him. "Alisa, can you show them to the dining area, they're waiting for them there."

"It'd be my pleasure" Alisa answered.

"Who's waiting for us?" Xiayou asked the android. Alisa smiled at her, she didn't want to ruin the surprise.

"Just foloow me first" Alisa turned to the left and walked forward. Julia was the first to follow without a question, Xiayou and Hwoarang stared at each other first. They were quietly guessing it was Asuka, they were confident that if Lars got them out, then only Asuka's left for him to get.

The dining area was an open space at the mezzanine level of the building, you can see the whole first floor if you stand at the end. There were three tables, each with four chairs, scattered at the rear east, south and west of the mezzanine level. When Xiayou and Hwoarang reached the end of the stairs, Julia and Alisa were already standing at the door that led to the kitchen, which had a separate enclosed room at the front east of the mezzanine level.

They're attention was first taken by the smell of nice food inside the kitchen, but they remembered that someone was waiting for them, so they changed their sights and looked around. All tables were empty and they thought that maybe the person had left but soon they realized that two silhouttes stood at the end of the floor. The lights at that part were in dim blue, so the figures of the shadow only appeared in whole black to their sight.

"Hwoarang, Xiayou, come here and get something to eat" Julia popped her head out of the kitchen door. She noticed that the two of them were looking at something ahead so she also looked that way. "Oh, so they were there"

Julia went out of the kitchen, she was carrying a cup of juice. "Let's go greet them" Julia said, coming between Xiayou and Hwoarang and pushing them together at the back.

She continued to walk while supporting the two and the closer they got, the more the shadows formed more clearly and the colors started to come in.

The two people were looking down, their hands were resting on the railings. One of them was shorter, wearing a jumper looking blue suit. The other one was taller, wearing black and belts of ammo with a helmet on the head.

"Asuka" Xiayou shouted, knowing the blue outfit anywhere.

The silent chat that the two people had was disturbed. Asuka turned her head and saw her two friends.

"Xiayou! Hwoarang!" She wanted to run to them but she had a hard time doing so. Lili, who was purposely in disguise to surprise the other two catched Asuka before she fell from trying to run in a whim.

"Easy there" She said, but her voice sounded robotic again. She helped Asuka regain balance in the body by holding her in the waist and putting Asuka's one arm on the railing.

"Asuka, are you alright?" Xiayou and Hwoaranf asked together, they looked worried about her.

"Don't worry about me, I was just beat up. Are you two alright? Were where you this whole time?"

"We were in jail Asuka" Xiayou answered with a weak tone.

"Who beat you up?" Hwoarang asked, more concerned about that.

Asuka didn't answer him directly, she only raised her index at Lili's direction.

Hwoarang and Xiayou had the looks of wanting to beat up that helmet figure right there.

"Then why are you letting him hold you like that? Lili would kill that guy if she was here" Hwoarang shouted out, pointing his hand at the helmet figure.

Asuka's eyebrows bended down, she didn't know if she was going to laugh at that moment. Although, one person did laugh. Besides Asuka, Julia knows that the helmet figure was Lili, and she wasn't informed of the plan to keep that information as a secret.

"Yeah, she can just beat herself up, right Lili?"

Lili and Asuka looked at Julia like two bullies in school. "Julia" Lili said in dismay.

Hwoarang and Xiayou went to a rage of confusion. What was happening? Why is she calling that helmet head Lili? Why isn't Asuka reacting?

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Hwoarang broke Lili and Julia's very ambiguous conversation.

The helmet head shifted her head to Hwoarang, then to Xiayou, then lastly to Asuka. The ebony head gave her a nod, a sign that there's no use to hiding it now. Lili sighed before turning off the controls in her helmet. The voice changer turned off, then the lock was opened and the helmet was free to remove now.

"Well, you certainly ruined the thrill Julia" Lili said after she took off her helmet. Her two friends was shortly speechless. "I'm sorry for tricking you guys, Xiayou, Hwoarang, nice to see the two of you again" She smiled at them, wide and happy -which was probably a bad thing to do.

Xiayou covered her mouth and Hwoarang swallowed a big lump on his throat. They both can' believe it.

Lili looked at Asuka. "I expected that" Asuka told her.

Lili looked worried, she tries to go closer to two of her friends but they slightly back away. "I can explain the reason for all of this. I know the two of you are mad at me too, but I –

Lili didn't get to finish her words anymore, Xiayou jumped to hugging her. "No, no I'm not mad Lili. I'm so happy you're not dead!"

Lili giggled, she embraces Xiayou back, and then she looks at Hwoarang.

The auburn head gave her a warm expression. "This is the first time I actually want to believe in miracles" He told her before breaking into a hoarse laugh. "That was the worst prank ever Lili"

"It was overboard" Lili said with a laugh at the end. Hwoarang smiled at her, he still wasn't moving close to her.

"Come on now Hworang" Xiayou called him. Hwoarang looked up at the celing before taking the invitation of running to Lili and embracing her like Xiayou the while, Asuka and Julia only watched at the sides, smilling with them.

* * *

A certain amount of time passes by.

Lars calls for everyone at the conference room at the ground floor of the building.

Asuka, Xiayou and Hwoarang sat at three chairs prepared at the very front of the conference hall. A projector was set in front of them but nothing was playing yet.

Lars, Alisa, Lee, Anna, Steve, Julia and Lili were all standing behind them in order from left to right.

"We'll all get to see the whole story now, and if we're lucky, maybe even the end" Lee said before clicking on the remote he was holding.

On the next Chapter, we all get to see what happened and what happens next. Three more chapters until the ending!


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Happy New Year Everyone, I hope all of you had a good one!**

**Romak 1997:** (Here's your virtual cookie :D ) I've had enough of cliff hangers, I didn't put any here anymore XD Lili says thanks for worrying about her ;D

**DaMastah 101:** Well, in the end, Asuka would kill me if I did kill Lili XD. Don't worry, your question will be answered here :).

**AsukaEnergetic1: **It was about time Asuka had a taste of being beaten by Lili :D

* * *

**36) Control**

* * *

The doors lock down again after Asuka was taken outside and Lili was left in a pitch black place. She couldn't hear or see anything anymore so she closed her eyes, and wondered what it'd felt like to never open them again.

It is exaggeration to say that she is ready for demise to come upon her but there was nothing she can do about it now. She stands at the long narrow fire exit, she isn't moving and she expects a zap of frying hot lasers to hit her at any moment now.

Any moment now.

Any moment now.

Finally, Lili opens her eyes and shifts her head from left to right, she taps her earphone but it was disconnected from Jin now. She turns around carefully, still thinking about the zap that will hit her. A loud crashing sound sent vibrations to the ground, Lili felt it at the ends of her toes. She stops moving again, it must be the lasers, she thought and so she went back to closing her eyes.

She closes her eyes long enough until something like a big flash of light makes her open them again. When her eyes open, she sees the entrance of the fire exit from the bank was opened, and two figures stood there. She squints her eyes and try to take a better view of the two figures.

"Hey, come here already" The voice of a man calls out to her. Lili can't recognize who the voice belonged to.

"We've turned off the lasers, it's safe to come here" Another voice, this time, a woman's called out to Lili. The second voice was more recognizable to her ears, but it was still at the end of her tongue.

She felt compelled to follow the orders of the voices she didn't know who, and from her position, she walked towards the light, until she was close enough to see that the two figures were Anna and Lee, standing left to right.

The two of them smiled at Lili, Lee moved aside, he gave enough space for Lili to step outside of the fire exit. The blonde head couldn't believe it at first when her two boots land back inside the bank.

The guards were still inside but they ignored her like she isn't wanted for any crime at all. She took her one hand and pinched herself in the cheek, when she felt a sting last after her fingers let go, she smiles.

"I'm alive." She exclaims happily.

"You sure are" Anna tells her, amused at how Lili looked foolishly happy.

Lili continued to smile even wider, she looked at the passageway leading outside of the bank. "I have to go to Asuka" She said before she tracked her feet to the floor and started sprinting out of the bank.

She was already half away from reaching the door at the bank entrance but Lee and Anna got her in the hands. She felt scared that they were going to do something bad so she did her best to escape their grasp. She kicked them and both Anna and Lee went away to dodge her kicks.

"Calm down" Lee told Lili.

"I need to go and see Asuka, she needs to know I'm alive" Lili shouted, her arms swinging in the air.

"We can't have that happen, princess." Anna scolded, giving Lili a smacked expression.

"You said you turned off the lasers right? Thank you for saving my life, but if you're looking for an exchange we can talk about that some other time. I need to see Asuka right now." Lili was slowly walking backwards closer to the front door, and she felt relieved when Anna and Lee just let her be. She continued to walk backwards until she hit someone behind.

She turned around and saw Lars standing with Alisa on his left. "Lili, we can't have you see her." The tall blonde man told her in a soft voice.

"Lars! What is the meaning of all this?" She pointed her open hands at the surroundings. The whole bank looked like a filming studio. Everyone was undressing from their costumes, hidden cameras were being put down and props were getting packed in boxes.

"We did this to fool Jin. You didn't really think we'd let him kill you?"

"And for what results, Lars? You guys saved me, and he'll know I lived, and he's going to kill everyone I love for that" Lili didn't want to sound rude and unappreciative of being saved but she remembered the consequence of being alive. She can't even imagine the things that Jin would do if he knew that he's plans got foiled.

"He's not going to know that you lived Lili, we'll let him think that you actually did die, that's why I want to refrain you from meeting anyone, even Asuka."

Lili looked unconvinced, she shaked her head. "That doesn't make sense Lars, he'll wait for my body to be found and he won't be a fool to think that a dead person's body would go missing inside an enclosed fire exit."

"It does make sense Lili" Lars told her confidently, he shifted his head to Alisa. "Have they left?"

The android shaked her head. "No, Lars. They've started to lament at the back, except for Jin."

Lili heard Alisa's answer, she went closer to the android and clasped her hands on Alisa's cold metal shoulders. "How is Asuka?" She asked the pink head.

"She's silent" Alisa answered looking sad. "And looks very gloomy" she added with another pang of sadness.

Lili looked at Lars. "I can't do this Lars, I can't" She admitted, almost wanting to cry just to let the taut man become more moved or at least, convinced.

"We have a plan Lili, and if we succed, you can reunite with all of them without worrying about him."

Lili's eyebrows arched down. "How long do I need to hide?"

"Not too long, maybe just a week."

The blonde had slightly been persuaded by that point but she still wondered how they would make Jin think that she is gone.

"What about the corpse?"

Lars met eyes with the others, they nodded in synchronize at him. "Very well, I will show you the answer" The blonde headed man took a step towards the front desk of the bank, and there, a big box colored in white was laid on the floor, hiding beneath the desk.

Lars asked Lee to pull it out and open the lid. Lili covered her mouth when she saw what was inside. It was her, a perfect copy of her.

"What is that?" Lili asked in horror. She clamped down to the floor and tried to hold the body that was her but she felt too afraid to do it.

"It's a synthetic body that we've all worked on. This is what will make Jin believe that you are dead" Lars clamped down next to Lili, he had Alisa hand him a box colored in white.

Lili saw the injection he took out of the box before giving it back to Alisa.

"This synthetic body is made to reflect a human corpse, it will become colder and stiffer with time, but it can't do that unless we supply it with the basic source of life in humans."

Lili was not a no brainer to simple science and the syringe that was held in the air by Lars hand was enough to let her know what he is talking about. She pulls the sleeves of her white blazer and gray polo, lifting it up close to her shoulder. She presents her arm for Lars to inject the syringe on.

"We'll have a squad of unknowing police and medics to take care of the rest tomorrow. Steve will come here to secure everything, including checking on this body." Lars passes Lili a cloth to control the blood coming out from the spot of the syringe shot.

Alisa takes the injection filled with Lili's blood and shots it to the synthetic body, within minutes, the body gains more human attributes, such as realistic body temperature and skin coloration. However because it is only a synthetic body, it will lose this attributes within days time, and then it will slowly deteriorate like a normal corpse.

"That's creepy" Anna, Lee and Lili said together, while Lars and Alisa busily put the synthesized body out of the box.

A group of guys wearing the uniform of the guards came with a stretcher. "We'll take it there now" they said, and went away with the body back to the fire exit.

* * *

When the van of the others left, Lili and Lars group also left. They used the road opposite where the van was moving, but Lili could see it from the window of the car they were riding on. She longed to let the others know she lived, but she's entangled to a bigger plan that is more important than her personal wants.

The next day, Steve goes to the bank masquerading himself in the garments of a medical nurse. The oblivious police and medics walk around the bank, studying the crime scene. The synthetic body is discovered where it should be and is taken by the medics.

"People come and go, that's what they say, and that's really how the world goes." One paramedic voices out as he pulls the stretcher to the ambulance.

"I'll take it from here" Steve orders the paramedic, giving him another job to be busy with. He checks the corpse, which he knows is a synthetic body for a sign of breath or life, but there was none. His job was done then because he only needed to confirm if the body has changed to the lifeless being it should be.

Back at Lars hideout

Steve knocks on the door at the room that Lili once stayed in. A voice tells him to come in, when he twists the door knob, he realizes that it was open all the time.

"Lili, we have a meeting at the conference room."

Lili was resting at the bed, her one hand was squeezing on the shoulder where she was injected yesterday. Little by little she stood up from the bed, Steve offered to help her but she declined it. They walked side by side out of the room, and at the hallway, Lili tried to start a conversation.

"Steve, did you see them?" Lili asked the boxer.

Steve knew who she was talking about, he shakes his head after hearing the question. "No, but I bet they're on their way now. News have come out."

Lili sighed. "You know they're going to be really really mad at us."

Steve sighed as well. "We can't help it, Jin moved too fast and now we all have to cope with acting that you're dead. Lars didn't want it to get this far, but at the same time, he was really anticipating it."

"Good thing he did, because that actually saved my life."

"We're here" Steve opened the door for Lili.

Inside the conference room, Lars was immediately near the door, the room was dark and a video was going on in the projector.

"Lili, we want you watch this" He guided Lili to a sit next to Lee and Anna. The couple didn't mind her joining with them as they watch.

"After defeating Kazuya and Heihachi at the end of the sixth iron fist tournament, Jin's control over the devil has gone weaker." The video spurred with the voice of Lars, it was possibly his way of recording his analysis on Jin, and his plans.

"He's lack of control had gone to the point where the devil is able to enter his thoughts without having him shape shift. He stated this himself when I once approached him for a fight, and now I think it's gone even worse. He's war spree is not for achieving peace in the future anymore, now it is simply the devils way to enjoy himself."

Lars paused the video at that very moment, he was sitting at the back of the others with Alisa controlling the projector. He looked at Lili who was still focused on the pictures at the screen.

"Lili?" Lars calls her, Lee and Anna look at the girl sitting next to them.

"Under the devil or not, I believe that he always wanted to kill me because I was an obstacle to him." Lili said, not looking away from the screen.

"I wouldn't mind you thinking so, I' am on the side of stopping him no matter what. But that doesn't mean I'll judge him for everything he's doing."

"Can we continue the video now?" Lili answered coldly.

Lars looks at Alisa, he gives her an order to turn off the projector. The screen turns black and the lights inside the room came open. Lars set foot to stand on top of the chair in front of the three audience.

"No, that video is not enough to explain things to you Lili"

"Are you trying to get me to forgive him?"

"Trust me Lili, it isn't he's fault"

"Yes it is, if he knew he was losing control why didn't he ask for help?" Lili's voice was beginning to track volume.

Lars looks dismayed at the girl who didn't want to listen. He talked again, this time his voice was stricter. "He did ask for help" He pointed his head at Lili, wanting her to hear him clearly.

Lili heard him but she ignored what he said, she bowed her head, only looking at her boots.

"When he and Nina saw you with the others in Iwaki, he contacted me about he's suspicions. I was the one who discovered your alliance for him."

"What? Why did you tell him about us? It's because he knew that's why he began to plan everything."

Lars looked guilty, he bowed his head at Lili. "I'm sorry I admit that it is my fault." He raised his head and saw that Lili was still not looking at him. "I told him about the alliance because I was hopeful that you could change him like you aimed. He wanted to take the chance. It was a miscalculation that I didn't think he was also planning behind me or rather, the devil was planning behind us."

"He pushed the train incident as soon as he came, he joined the alliance as a devil in disguise and never as the Jin who wanted to be good." Lili gazed dangerously at Lars.

"I can't speak for him about that, but I want you to know that I always kept my cards safe. I ordered Lee to go to Iwaki to watch over all of you when Jin contacted me. When we learned about the train accident, I ordered Steve to join your alliance and watch over all of you, when I realized that Jin was planning to kill you, I set up the whole bank stage so that I can save you."

"Does that mean that everything that happened in the bank was staged?" Lili asked in horror.

"It was, including the bullet you needed to get."

"Then why was Jin so obsessed with getting it? He made sure that bullet would get out even when I had to stay and die at the fire exit."

Lars sighed. "The two gems when broken together by the bullet would cast a powerful sealing spell to any curse, and even the devil will bow down to it. Jin wanted to take a hold of those three and escape from his cursed bloodline once and for all. He didn't know I lied about the bullets true location, he thought that the bullet in the bank was the real deal."

"I left the bullet in Asuka's blazer, he'll take it from her and he'll know its fake….what if he hurts her?"

Lars laughs mildly.

"Don't laugh there, I'm serious he threatened to hurt every one of you, and it makes me worried what he'd do if he realizes that the bullet is fake."

"He is going to realize it Lili, and the sooner the better."

Lili looks confused. "I'm really tired with this question and answer process we're having, Lars. Can you just save me the trouble and tell me everything?"

Lars laughs again. "If Jin realizes that the bullet with Asuka is fake, he's going to search for the true location of the bullet, and the true location of the bullet is at the treasury in a stand alone island just outside the north borders of Japan. But this is where it get's better. We already have the bullet, remember that time when Steve told you that he'd convince Lee to join you in the alliance?"

"Yes"

"He did go and meet Lee at that time he was gone and the two of them along with this unexpected company" Lars points his hand out to Anna, who raised her right hand up, acknowledging the credit for her. "Went and took the real bullet from the treasury in secret. Now, as soon as Jin realizes that the bullet is fake, he's going to tell it to Asuka and then he's going to let Asuka take the bullet from the treasury, and that's when we'll get her away from him."

"And how about Xiayou and Hwoarang?" Lili reminded Lars about the two other members of the alliance that were in danger under Jin.

"We don't know his plans about the two of them yet, but we have spy's to survey the happenings from every angle. We'll be ready to save them at any given time."

Lili nodded her head, signaling that she is in no doubt of the events. But something was biting her at the back of her head. She looked at Lars again, and asked fervently.  
"How do we get Asuka?"

"Oh, that-

"Uh Oh" Alisa's voice cut through Lars.

Lars and Lili looked at the android, bothered of getting disturbed. "Alisa what is it?" Lars asked the pink head.

"News in, I just heard them talk about contacting your father Lili."

Lili's eyes went wide, she stood up from her seat in a jolt of shock and terror. "Oh no, they're going to tell him that I'm dead."

"As if that wasn't obvious enough" Anna snorted from the right side of Lili.

"Did they mention when they'd contact him?" Lars asked his partner.

"They were supposed to call by now but it looks like they don't have the number yet. They've decided to try it tonight." Alisa answered while currently listening to the conversation through giant headphones.

"Please not daddy too. He'll never forgive Asuka if he hears about it." Lili begins to walk left to right, scratching her head head the same way Asuka does it when she's also in trouble.

"You have to go back to Monaco, We'll come with you" Lee stood up from his seat, pulling Anna with him in the wrist.

"We won't get there in time, it's a 15 hours flight. Daddy would've heard the news when we get to the house, and he's going to think that I'm either a ghost or Asuka was pranking him."

"Oh, shut up your dilly daddying princess, we have a copter of our own, I'll drive" Anna swindles out of Lee's grasp. She runs to Lili and grabs the girl in the forearm, effectively pulling her out of the conference room.

"Hey, everyone" Julia greets them at the hallways, wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt. "Anna, isn't that…..uhm"

"Lili" Lili tells the girl, knowing that she may not know her name, like everyone else when they first meet her.

"Oh yeah, Lili, hey, how are you?" Julia asks in a sweet tone, blocking Anna's way to the elevator.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking" Lili smiles at Julia.

"Oh, leave the chitchat for later. Lee, open the elevator" The silver hair man walked around Julia to get to the elevator switch, when the car came up, Anna didn't care about pushing Julia to the side anymore.

"Ah, good luck guys" Julia tells them before the elevator door closes.

Up at the helipad, Anna takes the drivers seat. Lee and Lili sat at the back of the helicopter.

"Why don't you sit at the front?" Lili asked the silver hair while the copter begins to float above the air.

"No way, I'd have to see all things fast forward right in front of me there" Lee held on the seat belt that slinged in his upper body, he closed his eyes when he saw Anna putting the speed to maximum. The copter vibrates backward in a jiff before re-vibrating forward. The main rotor blade at the top of the copter goes into an almost unseeable circular movement in harmony with the rotor tail at the end of the flight vehicle. The experience was scary and fun at the same time, the clouds were all collecting into big chunks of dust around them and the copter kept having turbulence because of it. Their lips whipped in the strong winds, except for Anna who laughed amidst the nightmare worthy experience.

* * *

It took them less than seven hours to get to Monaco, which to Lili's rationality should be quite impossible. She gets off the helicopter as soon as it lands on a bare and open landscape. Her feet were still shaking from the terrifying turbulence that she and Lee thought would be the end of their lives.

"Ah nothing but driving without stupid speed limits" Anna whistles before helping Lee to stand up straightly.

"Now I understand why they need to set them" Lili walks around the open forest and recognizes that this was just at the end of her neighborhood, actually the Rochefort mansion was seeable from her position right now.

"I think I should go there alone." Lili said, going off now, but Anna and Lee run after her. For a moment, Lili felt threatened of them so she run herself, Anna and Lee were then forced to chase after her.

"Sebastian! Daddy, open the gates!" She yells out as she violently shakes the high iron black gates.

She can see no one around their front yard, and even the fountain at the center had no running water. The greeneries were all dead now and the walls of the mansion have been horribly scrapped to their bricks and hollow foundation.

"Daddy! Sebastian! Anyone! Open the gates!" She shouts out again.

"Lili, stop, we're not going to do anything bad to you" Lee called out to the blonde head.

Lili did a last shake on the gates before fully calming down. She looked back at Anna and Lee who were panting from following her. They all looked at one another when a man in black pants and yellow polo came to the gates.

"Emilie? Is that you?" The voice spoke out while trying harder to examine the back of the blonde woman standing outside the gates.

Lili turns around and sees her father, looking thinner than ever. "Daddy" She said with sadness.

"Emilie, you were screaming just now, are you ok?" Mr. Rochefort quickly tries to open the gates. Lili instantly jumps to embrace him once nothing was between them.

"I'm ok, daddy. I'm alive than I could ever be." Mr. Rochefort embraced his daughter back but he couldn't stop being bother by Lee and Anna looking at them.

"Emilie, are these two you're friends?" Mr. Rochefort asks quietly to his daughter.

Lili pushes away from her father, she takes another look at Anna and Lee before saying "Yes, they are."

"I see, nice to meet the two of you" Mr. Rochefort raises his hand for a handshake.

"Anna" The bob head said with a pleasured smile.

"Lee" The other introduced himself with a little bow. "Can we come in? There's something urgent we need to tell you" he then continues.

"Yes, Daddy, we don't have time to waste" Lili pulled her father inside the mansion, letting the couple follow them.

= Hours later =

"I don't think I can believe everything you've all said" Mr. Rochefort shakes his head.

"Even if you can't believe it daddy, you have to at least cooperate with us. Any moment now, someone is going to call you and tell you that I'm dead" Lili went close to her father who was sitting on the sofa, which is ironically next to the table where the phone is.

"What do I need to do then? Should I tell the person that you're actually alive?" Mr. Rochefort asked, but his face still looked muddled.

"No, daddy, you have to go along with it. Act like its true….oh no, that's really bad of me to say, but we don't have a choice daddy, they can't know I'm alive…not yet."

Mr. Rochefort exhaled deeply, and just at that moment, the phone beside him began to ring. Lili moved away from her father and stood at a corner in the living room. Anna and Lee sat at a sofa adjacent to Mr. Rochefort, they watched as how he would act to the call.

"Hello" Mr. Rochefort started off in a weary voice when no sound was coming from the other line. He heard someone say "ah" for a moment, then the sound became something distorted.

"Who is it?" Lee asked him in a whisper.

Mr. Rochefort lifted his shoulders, then he's eyes suddenly went big when a girl's voice came to the line, sounding offbeat and nervous. Anna and Lee watched as the man talked with a realistic somber voice.

"Ah, I'm calling here, from Japan….are you Mr. Rochefort?"

Lili's father suddenly faced the corner where her daughter was standing, he took the phone a distance away from his ear and covered the mic piece. "I think this is Asuka" He told Lili in a low voice.

Lili's eyes went wide when she heard that it was Asuka, she began to act out some movement in her hands while frantically telling her father what to say next. "Ask her how I am" Lili said in hand language.

Mr. Rochefort nodded his head and began to ask "Did something happen to Lili, to my daughter?" He tried to listen for an answer at the other line but Asuka wasn't answering, he looked at his daughter again. "She's not saying anything"

"Ask her again" Lili said.

"Hello? Is this anything about my daughter? She's in Japan right now" Mr. Rochefort talked again, he continued to look at Lili while giving the signal that Asuka still wasn't answering him. Lili on the other hand, encouraged him to just talk until Asuka does answer."Hello, are you still there? Who are you?...Is this Asuka?" Mr. Rochefort sighed, the girl on the other line was the one who isn't cooperating. "Please answer me, I know you're still there, the line is still on." He said, now pleading for Asuka to just talk as well.

When Asuka did answer, the only thing she said was to say sorry. "You're sorry for what? Who are you? Why are you calling here?" Mr. Rochefort talked while reading the hand languages that Lili, Anna and Lee were giving him.

When Asuka said something about Lili being killed, Lee and Anna gave him the sign of a hand sliding in the flesh of the neck, like killing someone off. Mr. Rochefort nodded his head. He collected enough amount of air before bursting into a scary and mad voice.

Anna and Lee then added some crashing sounds in his background, courtesy of old stuff being displayed everywhere at the living room. Mr. Rochefort heard Asuka ask him about the body being taken to Monaco and he asked what he would say now.

The three looked at one another and out of nowhere, Anna takes away the handphone from Mr. Rochefort and starts to strangle him in the neck. Lee is then left alone to make the sound effects of breaking things. Lili runs to her father's aid and pushed Anna away. The bob head didn't mind, and she still helped give the hand-phone back to Mr. Rochefort.

Mr. Rochefort was still coughing when he tried to get the phone but Lili took it from Anna and pushed the girl on the floor, Lee saw them and tried to join the fight for the hand-phone. They bumped on chairs and tables until the hand-phone was left somewhere below the scattered debris. Mr. Rochefort took it and run for his office.

"I want her back here as soon as tomorrow. Don't ever call me again, and don't even bother going to her funeral." Mr. Rochefort said, he was then afraid of more questions so he resolves to throw the phone away. The phone hits the table in his office, pushing everything above it to break down in the floor. Lili then arrives, her hair all messed up and her face looking worried.

"Daddy, what happened?" She asked.

"I threw the phone away" Her father answered nonchalantly.

"What?" Lili looked for the phone and saw it crashed to pieces at the top of the table. "Daddy, what did you tell Asuka?"

"I told her to not call again, and she shouldn't even bother going to the funeral….because of course, there isn't going to be one."

"There will be one" Anna appears, her hair looking more deranged than Lili's.

"Yes, we need to create a fake funeral, we can't leave an opportunity for Jin to doubt my death" Lili agreed with Anna. "Besides, I believe that Asuka will still come even if you told her not to. She's that kind of a hard head"

* * *

Asuka's eyes were rapidly on Lili when that part of the video came up. The blonde who purposely stood far away from Asuka expected this. It took a few seconds before she also shifted her eyes to Asuka. She changes position with Lars, who was standing behind Asuka and stood behind her. The ebony was both watching the video and getting glimpses of Lili, the girl in whole black couldn't stay put anymore so she went closer behind Asuka and placed her hands above her girlfriend's shoulders.

"I know. I'm sorry for that too" She whispered to Asuka, her head slightly bent down.

* * *

The video continues on to Lee, Anna and Lili's preparation for the fake funeral. When the body arrived, the three of them immediately realized that Asuka was there too.

Actually Lee and Anna realized it, then they told it to Lili.

"Hey, your girlfriend did come" Anna stated as she looked through the window in the living room.

"Asuka's here?" Lili said with an excited tone.

"Oh, oh, hold your horses, you do remember you're dead to her?" Anna covered the window with her body. "Don't look, she might see you and think that you're a ghost"

"Come on, Anna, I miss my girlfriend, I haven't seen Asuka for three days now." Lili crossed below Anna's armpits and slid the curtain to the right. She saw a black bag being rolled by a stretcher with one guy at the end and Asuka on the front.

"She didn't even bother to put on a disguise. Your Popsi-poo already warned her not to come."

"Daddy doesn't know what she looks like"

"He hasn't? Well how tragic for Asuka, the girlfriend who met her girlfriend's father only when said girlfriend is died."

"Don't mock Asuka like that" Lili snapped at Anna. "She won't meet my daddy here, I told daddy to not show up until she leaves."

"Ah huh, nice job, but who's going to receive your body then?"

Lili smiled at Anna. "A trusted friend of mine."

= at the front door =

"Ms. Asuka, good to have you bring the mistress back" Sebastian greeted the ebony at the doors. He had a handkerchief repeatedly damping on his eyes that were swollen and red from crying. (Courtesy of Lee's chopped onions smudge on the hankerchief)

"Sebastian, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault Ms. Asuka"

"It is, it is Sebastian. It's my fault that Lili died."

The old butler shaked his head, he squeezed Asuka in one shoulder. "Mr. Rochefort told me to not let you in, but he's still locked in his room, and it would be Ms. Lili's request to let you come."

Asuka came inside the house that time, and with the help of Sebastian, she was able to hide somewhere away from the hired funeral visitors and the three other people who were hiding inside the Mansion.

By the second day of the funeral, Anna and Lee were informed that Julia is now overlooking Hwoarang and Xiayou who've been brought to prison by Jin. They felt the need to start the training with Lili now.

"I have to learn how to shoot? What for?" Lili asked the two people who have now brought her to an open field with standing cardboard targets set at different distances.

"You were asking Lars before how we would get Asuka right? Do you want to know the answer to that question Lili?" Lee told the blonde, handing her a simple handgun.

Lili looked at the shining silver piston. "Yes" She said before carefully lifting the gun from Lee's hand.

Lee smiled at her, he asked Anna to throw him another gun. He catches it quickly and begins to aim at one of the targets. "We take her by force." He shoots and the bullet effectively hits the bulls eye. "Anna and my contribution to the plan is planning how to take Asuka back, and of course we incorporated you in it."

"We're going to teach you shooting because we can't let you use your fighting style since that would give away your identity. Of course, learning how to shoot is a lot faster than learning a new fighting style." Anna added to the explanation, shooting a bulls eyes without even looking at the target.

"I agree" Lili nodded her head, remembering how long it took her to learn the Kazama style.

That night when Asuka left, Sebastian shared something upsetting to Lili.

"Ms. Asuka blames herself for your death, my miss."

"Surely, Jin has mind washed her into believing that" Lee strongly indicated.

That thought bothered Lili for the next days, until the time that Asuka returns to Monaco.

Bang bang bang

"Wow, prefect bullseye" Anna clapped her hand, seeing all the target down.

"How long do we still need to wait? Hwoarang and Xiayou's been on jail for five days now, and Asuka's already in a lot pain." Lili's voice was shaking, like she wanted to cry right there and then.

Anna sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know, your girlfriend's back here"

Lili's eyes rapidly bulged up. "She's going to go to the tomb."

"Yes, Lee and I personally interacted with her in the bus going to La Colle."

"So that's where you went when you borrowed my Chanel gloves and perfume"

"And some expensive make up that helped me make my old lady disguise. Be thankful that I was a nice old lady to your girlfriend."

"Yes, Thank you for that and for telling me she's here" Lili gives her handgun to Anna, who was still enjoying the designer's gloves on her hands.

"Hey, you better not try to reveal yourself to her" Anna reminded the excited spirit.

"I won't!" Lili shouted as she continued to run fast away.

"But she did show herself to me" Asuka said, surprising everyone inside the conference room. They all looked at Lili now.

"What? She thought it was a dream" Lili reasoned. "Plus I just couldn't stand there and listen to her wails for me. I already felt so guilty for purposely doing those fake funerals and tombstones. It hurt me a lot to see her going through so much torture."

The others inside the conference shifted their head left to right, not quite convinced.

"It's a good thing she believed it was a dream" Anna said from across the room.

= The day before the treasury attack =

"We're going back to Tokyo?" Lili asked as she put her seatbelts on.

"Yes, the new hideout is ready." Lee said from the front seat.

Anna did some final clicks on the control board before starting the flying vehicle and bringing them back to Japan."

= The day of the treasury attack =

By the next day at the new hideout in Tokyo, while Lili continued to practice her shooting, the others were back to their jobs. In the afternoon, Steve came with the latest news from the spying devices inplanted inside the Tokyo dojo.

"This is an air compressed gun, this is what you'll use to shoot Asuka. It's loaded with a plastic of fake blood that will explode once it hits her." Lee hands the specialized pistol to Lili.

"This isn't going to kill her right?"

"No, but it will make her sleep because the air is mixed with ether."

Anna comes across the two and hands Lili her other props, the notorious black leather uniform with the belts of ammo and the electric helmet. "Lars wants us to get there before your girlfriend does so we have go first."

"What about my ride?"

"There's another copter where your henchmen will be. You ride with them."

= After Lili puts Asuka to sleep =

"Get a team to take Jin back here" Nina ordered the armed men in black.

"Yes, Ma'am" The three men left the room.

Nina went back to looking at the video footage from the the other side of the screen, Lili looked at the little gadget blinking a tiny red spot at the center. She aims her gun at it and hits it with a bullet, making it scatter in the floor. At the same time, Lars approached her from the side.

"Good job Lili. Now it's time we make Jin have a taste of his own medicine."

"I hope he enjoys it." Lili said as she knelt down to the floor and took Asuka. She fixed the girls position in her arms and carried her to the copters.

* * *

"What do you mean by making him taste his own medicine?" Xiayou asked, looking at Lars who was standing with Alisa just right behind her.

Alisa clicked on a remote control she was holding, the video which was now over stopped and the screen remained white for awhile. The next video then plays, showing the scene outside the Fuchu prison. Two ambulance cars were parked outside, carrying in the bodies of Xiayou and Hwoarang.

"Badass" Hwoarang stated, somewhat amazed.

"It's my idea" Lili said suddenly. She caught the surprised reactions of Xiayou, Hwoarang and Asuka.

"I know it's bad to fight fire with fire, but I want to see how deep gone he is."

"You're testing his feelings?" Asuka asked the girl.

"I'm testing if he still has those feelings."

"That's not going to be possible Lili." Xiayou spoke out with a low voice.

The girl in black looked at her friend. "How can you say so, Xiayou?"

"Because he never cared for any of us. There never was any feelings, it was all just his act from the very start." Xiayou was shouting but her head was bowed down.

Asuka tried to place a hand on Xiayou's back but she slapped it away. "He never loved me either!" the Chinese girl began to stand up, so abruptly it made her chair fall piercingly on the floor. "Let's just stop him and get this all over with, I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore."

Xiayou barges out of the conference room while the lights were still off. The other's called her name but she never stopped and she even slammed the door after her. Everyone was silent from the event.

Hwoarang stood up from his chair after a few minutes. "I'll talk to her" He said, but no one said anything. Julia who was standing closest to him, pulled Hwoarang in the shirt. "She needs her space Hwoarang, we can talk to her tomorrow."

Lars looked at the settled and tired faces of everyone inside the conference room. "It's already late, we all should rest now." He announced, walking to the door and opening it for all of them.

* * *

Minutes later, Alisa was locking the conference room with Lars waiting for her. Anna and Lee went to the right while Lili and the other's went to the left. Once they reached the doors of their bedrooms, Julia and Hwoarang said goodnight as they locked each of their rooms.

Lili remained standing with Asuka at the hallway. They were right in front of the room where Asuka will be staying alone tonight.

"I'm so sorry for agreeing to fool you like that Asuka, it was all out of my control."Lili stared at the ebony who was facing her back at her.

Asuka stared at the door, she was thinking of turning around, or at least saying something. She understood the reasons for everything but she was still chewing them in her mind, she had hardly swallowed anything. Saying out loud that she understands it, is actually a bafflingly hard thing to do.

"Good night" Asuka heard the footsteps of Lili going fainter after she said that. Every weaker sound was like a string that pulled her to turn about. She felt heavy in the heart when she saw that she was alone in the hallways now.

* * *

Midnight came and Asuka lay awake in her bed, she covered her eyes with her arms, pleading to fall asleep. She turned left and right but she couldn't get some rest, she was being kept awake by her heart. She took her white covers and crunched them in her fists while she hit her head on the pillow.

"Go to sleep! Go to sleep! Go to sleep!" she yelled, and she's unaware how loud she's being.

She fell on her back again and she stared at the light touching the door. The moons nimble was bright as it pass through the thin curtains of the windows. Asuka sat up and threw her blankets aside. She had already put her feet on the floor but she stopped moving again, she looked at the door and felt the quietness everywhere.

She exhaled heavily and went back under her blankets and just like a minute ago, her arms were placed on top of her eyes. She tries to erase the image of Lili on her head, and starts thinking of something more boring, like counting sheep's.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5," the silence in her room is disturbed by a click on the door. She partially lifts her arm to cast a brief look at the door knob.

"6, 7, 8" She saw the doorknob twist to the right. "9, 10" the doorknob stopped moving. Asuka's focused have been transferred to the door, deliberately leaving the sheep's to count themselves.

The door opens slowly after a little creak. Asuka turns sideways facing the wall in an instance. She mistakenly pushes the blankets to her feet, giving her no cover.

Lili took a quick glance at Asuka's bed before she fully comes inside the room. She thinks that the ebony is asleep and she felt like covering her with the blankets that's falling from the foot board of the bed.

She bends down to take the end of the blankets, once she got them, she stretched it all the way to Asuka's head. Just as she was going to place it over Asuka, all of a sudden she was pulled in the wrist and thrown to the bed.

She groaned as she was harldy pinned down by the hands. When she tilted her head up, she realized that Asuka was above her now.

"How did you know it was me?" Lili asked as she knows for a fact that Asuka would only do this to her.

"I recognized your footsteps" Asuka answered her none so specially. Lili couldn't make out whatever expression Asuka had at that time because her head was too down and her hair was cascading all over her face.

Lili could only smile now, she wanted to caress Asuka's face but her hands were sticked to the bed by Asuka. "Asuka, I'm sorry-

"I forgive you, and I was lying when I said I hate you." Asuka raises her head up and aligns it with Lili's, they're eyes refelecting the image of each other. "I love you and I'd forgive you any day if it means you'll come back to me."

Lili's eyes encircled Asuka's, they gazed into each other's sight and even when it was her time to speak now, she had no words to say. She went about in her mind to find what she wants to happen in the next second. Asuka begins to notice how her eyes begin to change course. Brown eyes follows blue and Asuka realizes that the eyes of Lili are now beckoned to her lips. They're eyes swiftly travel back up to stare at each other and in a flash of a moment they both lean to the direction of one another.

They're lips meet in a rough and hard reunion. They both fight for dominance until Asuka forgot about holding down Lili's hand and they started to roll around the bed, never stopping to catch for air. When they remained at the middle of the bed, with all blankets and pillows scattered in chaos around them, they stopped. They held the face of the opposite while one of their hands was at the hips. Unsatisfied, they kissed again. Their bodies shivered everytime their tongues slided and twisted together. Unconsciously because of being in so much bliss, they keep pushing the other's back until they're chests were overlapping one another. At different times, either of them would be at the top or bottom, but no one ever lasted long on one position because they moved so fast and changed directions quickly.

Asuka buries her head in Lili's neck, indulging herself with the blonde's soft white skin, kissing and sucking it in turns. Her hair goes ascrew as Lili holds on and pulls on it. She searches for Lili's lips again once she's done and they go back to being lost in the taste of each other. Their hands go astray in their bodies, holding everything it travels upon, and once it goes back up, it then tries to remove the covers that come between their fleshes. As more clothes flew out of the bed, Asuka pushes Lili to the edge, and rests above her, they continue to kiss, now topless with their bare breasts coinciding.

Lili scambles the floor for the blanket that she knows is just lying out there. She felt a large piece of fabric on her hands and begins to pull it. Asuka and her unexpectedly goes down the bed, Lili hits the floor first while Asuka falls above her.

"What did you do?" Asuka asked, lifting herself away from Lili.

"Sorry, wrong sheet" Lili lifted the fabric in her hand, which wasn't the blanket sheet but actually the bed sheet.

Asuka shifts her head to the bed, empty and left with nothing but the mattress because everything else was on the floor now. She looked back again at Lili and smiled at her. "Let's just continue at the floor"

Lili smiled back at her and they begin to kiss again, half their bodies exposed while the lower parts were covered by the bed sheet now. Asuka slightly separated her lips from Lili to ask her something. "Why did you even need the blanket Lili? It's not like you to be shy." Her voice played with tease and sweetnees.

Lili giggled on her lips and a big smiled curled on her face. She softly kissed Asuka before whispering to her. "No, it's just I left the door open."

Asuka's mouth hang open, she turned her head around and saw the door was almost halfway open, she looked back and forth at Lili and the door, her face in horror. "Why didn't you say that earlier?" Asuka quickly stood up and took the blanket with her. She closed the door in a jiff and pushed on the lock.

Her heart was still racing when she walked back to the bed and fell weakly. She put her hand on her chest, and she could still feel the tremendous heaving of her heart. Lili threw back all the pillows and the blanket to the bed then she jumped above Asuka and embraced her.

Asuka felt their hearts race together in sync, the whole room smelled like the two of them and the warmth their bodies radiated was unbearable comfortable. She remembered how it felt like when Lili wasn't there to give her this kind of torridly mixed feelings. Without her, it was like all things were static, expected and dull. Yet, right now even with the night starting so normal with the ever constant moon on the sky, it starts becoming ridiculously full of delight. Lili looked up at Asuka and saw her start to cry.

"Asuka, I promise I didn't mean it" Lili wiped the tears coming down Asuka's face.

Asuka chuckled, she raised her right hand and caressed the side of Lili's face, pushing strands of her blonde hair to the back.

"How do you that?" Asuka said with a whisper covered tenderly and sweet. Lili's fingers were still lingering under the eyes of Asuka, she vaulted down her eyebrows, confused of what Asuka is talking about.

"How can you have so much control of me? How can a day without you be so different? How is it that however mischievous and troublesome it is to be with you, I wouldn't want it any other way? You have completely rendered me impossible to enjoy life without you. You made me yours, Lili and you have no right to leave me."

Lili looked warmly at Asuka. "That's ok with me, I don't mind being bounded to you." She lifts her hand and envelope it with Asuka's.

Gently she lays them down back to the bed, she kisses Asuka in the chest up to her neck while squeezing their hands together.

"I'll love you forever too, Asuka." She stated between their lips kissing, which caused both of them to smile.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: **Please, don't kill me. Yes, I know this update took so long. I'm sorry for that. It's because I was slated to apply for another college school and I got stuck between my studies and applying for a new school so I couldn't write so much. But, I've finally had the time now, so I'm finally ending the story. Thank you for all those who followed, and waited.

**DaMastah 101: **Haha, yes. No more secrets. Well, the crap with Jin is out now too. :D Sorry for the wait.

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Anna and Lee are a good couple for me :) haha, I'm sorry, I should've made that scene a more detailed one but that's ok, I'll pay you back in my other fanfic XD. Yes, more AsuLili indeed. Sorry for the wait.

**Romak 1997: **I guess my judgement on Jin will be a lot different than what you all imagine, but I hope it works out. thank you for another good praise for the chapter. Cheers from Philippines ^^

**Mhuki: **Hey, glad to have you aboard me ship again, mate ;O , Haha, in short, I made you feel what emotion mix is? Well, of course, with AsuLili, there is always more.

**Sneeringflame: **Thank you for saying that. And for expecting the ending to be awesome, I really do hope it is.

**Lucy: **Thank you so much. I will finish this story no matter what. Thank you for the support. I won't let this story become incomplete.

**Nutellaholic: **Hey! there :D I've finally caught up the update here. I hope it turns out good. Thank you for waiting :D

* * *

**37) Serendipity**

* * *

The ambulance leaves with the siren of emergency persistent long after it's gone. Jin stood somberly in his place. The demon in his head had somehow shut down. There was no evil in him at that time, only sadness. Unbearable pain, guilt, and loss.

Was this what the devil had planned all along? He would control him to lose everything he held dear and then leave him to suffer the consequences! It was cruel! He's lost now. He doesn't know what needs to happen next.

The night sky settles quickly above him and he tries to walk off into the horizon. Soon, a troupe of black soldiers halt in front of him. They rose a salute together and call him "Sir!"

Jin ignores them and goes sideways, but a black car pulls up next to him. The window slides down, revealing Nina inside.

"Put him inside." The blonde driver instructs.

The soldiers in black arrange to pull Jin inside the car. The troubled mourner didn't mind the hands that towed him to move into the car, he enters the vehicle and sits down for a quiet ride back to his lair.

* * *

Contrast to the night, morning has shone upon the hideout.

The two gems and the bullet were laid side by side of one another. Everyone gathered in front of it, marveling at their significant advantage over Jin.

Lars moves behind the table where the ornaments were in display. He pulled out a white handgun from one slot pocket of his belt and placed it right next to the bullet. Hwoarang eyes the gun, almost close to holding it with his hand, but Julia stopped him and told him not to.

"I don't exactly know how we can use this correctly." Lars started off.

"Ehh?" The others exclaimed worriedly.

Lars looked at Alisa, who seemed to be the only calm person in the room.

"Was my beauty sleep interrupted because we need to brainstorm on how those shimmering things work? Because I don't want to do it." Anna snapped, looking groggy in her pink bathrobe, and disheveled hair. She repeatedly runs her fingers in her bob, trying to fix it.

"It's not like that Anna, and everyone else." Lee stepped in next to Lars. "You see, these objects are known to have a chaotic reaction. We're not sure where it's safe to use it. We're not sure if we'll be safe if we use it."

"What are the possible worst scenario's?" Lili asked. She stood far away from the table, with Asuka standing just next to her.

Lee exchanged looks with Lars. "Explosion. A big one." He then answered her.

"Maybe we can just use a rifle to hit the gems from a distance." Steve tried to suggest.

"We could," Lars said in an encouraging tone. "But the bullet only works with this gun." He held the white gun up.

"Perfect! Way to go to the ancients! Why can't those people make powerful objects without restriction on how to use it?" Hwoarang blurted out.

"Since it is powerful, it would be dangerous if just anything could make it work," Julia answered him indirectly.

"So, we can only shoot at close-range?" Lili asked again. Lars nodded his head. "Apparently, we'll be risking our lives for this to work." She concluded bitterly.

"Will it even work? Is this going to kill him? If we're going to die trying, I at least want to know that it'll be worth it." Xiaoyu cut in, sounding determined. She looked the most eager to do anything right now to stop Jin.

"The gems have no power to kill anyone. It's only function is to seal a curse." Lee took over to explain. "By sealing the curse, the devil will be extracted from Jin. Though, we're not sure if he dies in the devil has been in him since he was a child. It's possible that his very existence is already embedded with the devil's possession."

With the knowledge of the possible outcome of what they're going to do. It can't be helped that the former Alliance members fell quiet in thought. The meeting briefly ended because of that, and everyone was granted to have breakfast before they continue.

"It should sound reasonable for us," Asuka said, looking at Lili who was at her deepest thoughts.

Lili looked at Asuka, unsure of what to say herself. She positioned her elbows on the table and muttered. "I don't know. He did make us go through a lot of awful things, but I can't seem to convince myself to put that kind of judgment on him."

"I hear you. Man, and I kept saying I would kill him with my bare hands." Hwoarang shook his head, feeling hopeless in this new situation. "Be careful what you wish for, huh?"

While the three were stuck in the loop of convincing themselves that this plan is morally acceptable, one particular girl was getting irritated by the hesitancy that her friends were showing. Xiaoyu felt unaffected by the probable death of Jin -though she believes she should feel miserable and she should be the first one to not agree to this – it was the practical thing to finish off Jin. He is a danger, and she's seen that first hand. If the others can quickly forget about that and somehow forgive him, she can't. "It's just a possibility everyone. We won't know until we try." She voiced out, staying firm and gritty in her tone.

Hwoarang, who sat closest to Xiaoyu quirked his eyebrows. He looked at Asuka and Lili, who were obviously as worried as him. They gave each other a regarding stare that they should let the girl alone. The silent treatment to what Xiaoyu had said was only broken by Steve sitting down on the head table next to Lili.

"Ok, are we in this or not?" He asked quickly to the point.

The eyes of the three before him balled on Xiaoyu. Julia then appeared with a tray full of red colored cups. She placed one on each person's front and sat at the other head table, this time, next to Hwoarang. "Eat first before we talk about that Steve, the decision might affect our appetite for the whole day." She said, pushing up her eyeglasses before sipping the brewed tea in her cup.

"Hey, you're wearing glasses," Hwoarang observed. "It suits you. Makes you look like a nerd."

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment." Julia smiled shyly at him.

"It was," Hwoarang answered flatly.

Asuka looked at them while they continued to hold a conversation with each other. Lili bumped her shoulders to the ebony who was staring and handed her a plate of eggs and bacon.

"Wow, it's the first time they served something normal." Asuka joked.

"That's mean. But true. It looks like having Lee around makes a better hideout." Lili said, looking behind her where Lee was giving out the food from the kitchen, though a better sight to behold was how he was able to force Anna to serve the food.

"It seems like a lot of people are becoming chummy here." Asuka said, concerning the two cases she was aware of at the moment.

"Yes. By the way, I saw you eavesdropping on Julia and Hwoarang there. Not a really good hobby, Asuka."

"What?" Asuka almost laughed. "I just felt happy to see Hwoarang being close to her…at least, he's not after you anymore."

"Ok. I thought that was a prehistoric topic by now."

"I know. I was just saying." Asuka bit down on her breakfast. She chewed on the food, having another thought on her head. When she swallowed it, she spoke up, but it was only loud enough for Lili to hear her. "To be honest, I guess the only reason why I hate Jin is because of what he did to you."

Lili put down her spoon and shifted her head to Asuka. "And I guess, now that I know you're fine. It doesn't hurt to forgive him. Not that much." The ebony continued in a sorely serious voice.

Lili gave her a concerning look. "I agree." She said with a frail smile at the end. "If the devil leaves Jin and he dies, then it only means that we killed Jin, not the devil itself…All I want is for Jin to atone for his wrongdoings. Even a sincere apology would do."

"But right now, the only chance to make him pay is with this method. It's harsh. We _might_ kill him, and I don't think I want to kill him."

Lili's eyes roll over to Xiaoyu. The Chinese had remained quiet in the business of her food consumption. "It's alarming. Xiaoyu's behavior is turning for the worse. I feel like something will snap inside her if Jin dies."

"Take it from me. Something will definitely snap." Asuka said, remembering the dark world she was in when she thought that Lili had died.

"Hey, hurry up the nitty-gritty, we still have a plan to think about!" Anna shouted from the middle of the dining area.

Asuka and Lili looked down at their plates. Hardly half was finished while the others in the table were on their way to wash the dishes now.

"Oh yeah, the little lovebirds want to be left alone before they finish their food. How romantic." Anna scowled at the two girls, seeing as they are the only ones left in the table.

"You can do the same with Lee, Anna." Lili backfired to the bob head.

Anna's huff could be heard while Lili shared a wink with Asuka and laughed before they finished their food.

* * *

Jin sat down in his chair. He was alone inside the big empty dark room of his Mishima office. The big table in front of him had one computer. He opened it and saw how the world was doing with his war.

He changed from video to video, picture to picture and report to report. His eyes were rapidly moving from one frame to another. Out of the devils influence, he couldn't stand to learn all this information and statistics right in front of him.

He opens another video. The screen starts from black, but a voice started to crack in the background. He knows the voice, and if he wasn't so dismal at the moment, he would have smashed the screen by now.

The voice of his father haunted the volumes of his speakers. It was an old transmission. A recording that was saved a year ago. He was able to defeat Kazuya and Heihachi, and thought that he had rid the world from evil. But the voice calling his name in anger gave him another message.

The world was no safer with him around. Kazuya is gone, but he left the devil with him.  
His been stalling it for years now, believing that there was another way to live normally. But it looks like the only way to truly bring peace in the world, is for him to die as well.

"Jin!" The voice in the speaker rattled the lonesome Jin.

He bit his tongue and slapped the screen off his desk. In a few seconds, the door opens and Nina came in, along with some other guards.

The blonde vixen saw the trash of the now fragmented computer. Jin sat without a care in his chair. He then raised his head at his bodyguard. "Abort all transmissions. I want this war to stop." He ordered without any reluctance.

Nina raised an eyebrow at him, which only garnered her a petrifying stare by Jin's engorged eyes.

"Leave us." She orders quietly to the other guards. As the door closes behind them, Jin stands up and walks over to her.

"Don't dare ignore my order, Nina." He warned his acting bodyguard.

"I'm not. I just want to know why you're doing this all of a sudden."

Jin paced around, he walked near the wreckage of the computer and kicked the parts that we're laying close to his reach. "I don't have time anymore. The devil is taking over me. My friends are dead because of me. Xiaoyu is dead because of me. I've done enough damage already. I need to stop myself while I still have control."

Jin returned to going eye to eye with Nina. "Stop everything of what I've started, that's an absolute order. Don't ever resume it under any reason, even if I order it again."

Nina looked unnerved at her boss. "Roger that." She said coldly, then she walked towards the door. Before she opens it, she looks back at Jin. "Are you going to go through with it?" She asked nonchalantly.

Jin looked out of his humogous window in the left wall. "It's the only choice I have."

Nina could only give him a disapproving groan as she walks out of the office.

* * *

Asuka Kazama opened the door to the Tokyo Dojo. The place still smelled like home.

"Well, looks like nothing has changed." The ebony said as she entered.

"Hmm, I knew without me you guys would neglect to clean this place." Lili muttered with a pride. The dust accumulating in the floor and the cobwebs in the ceiling were proof enough that no one had cleaned the place ever since she last saw it.

Asuka grabbed the tall girl by the back of her neck and briskly pushed her head to a vow. "Don't say that. You hardly clean here yourself my dear spoiled girlfriend."

"And who's the one who tells me not to clean?" Lili took Asuka's hand off her neck and threw the girl to the floor. She then goes on to straddle Asuka in place at the wooden flooring. "Blaming me for something you've done. You're turning out to be a very good girlfriend Asuka."

"I know. You should be proud to have me." Asuka snickered, happily accepting the sarcastic comment.

Lili looked at the door behind her, still wide open. "Why do I always forget to close the door?" She asked before she stood up and came to the door. A click signals its automatic lock.

"Did you just ignore me there?" Asuka's voice whispered into her ear. Slowly, the ebony's hands were wrapping her in the hips, pulling her closely to Asuka's front body.

"I might have." She answered playfully. "It's very rare that I do that. Though your reaction coaxes me to do it more frequently."

Asuka was embracing her through the waist by now. The embrace became tighter, and soon Asuka's lips were kissing the back of her ear. Lili felt flushed, and it made her giggle. It's not like she hasn't done more lewd things with Asuka.

"You're really persuading me to ignore you more Asuka." She said, half-laughing and half-enjoying this sweet moment with her girlfriend.

"Nah, you'll get a better treatment than this if you don't ignore me." Asuka stopped the kissing and proceeded to rest her chin above Lili's shoulder.

"Like what?" Lili asked her with a tease.

Asuka moved Lili's head, making them face-to-face. She leaned in slowly, catching Lili's mouth in her lips and nudging it deeper by pushing Lili's head now and then.

"Like that" She said while she lightly slides her lips on Lili's.

"Definitely the latter." Lili answered before leaning in to kiss Asuka again.

When they separated, they rested their foreheads on one another.

"Did that make you feel better?" Asuka asked Lili, taking the blonde's hand and interlacing it with hers.

"Making out with you always makes me feel better Asuka." She said, squeezing the hand that her girlfriend had offered her. "But you didn't need to do that. I can do this. I think…" She looked away from Asuka and observed the Dojo in full.

Asuka placed a hand on the side of Lili's cheeks and proded the girl's head back to her face. "I would take your place, if I knew how to shoot a gun."

Lili looked up, musing. "I can teach you right now. It's not that hard. I was able to learn it within a week." She chuckled afterward. "I mean, you did say you're a fast learner."

"I am. But I know you're joking." Asuka gave her girlfriend a wide grin.

Lili couldn't help but reply it with a grin of her own. "Then I expect you to laugh."

* * *

Xiaoyu and Hwoarang stood at a close perimeter outside of the dojo. They were standing far away from one another.

Hwoarang had the white gun on his hand. He threw it up and down in the air, catching it in different ways. Xiaoyu watched him, though she wasn't saying anything.

A murky sound from the radiophone in Xiaoyu's hand disturbs the moment.

"We're in Jin's room now." Asuka reported.

"Is there anything you found?" Xiaoyu replied quickly.

"Ah, nothing but clothes. I guess he really left his tracks clean." Asuka answered back.

"I told you girls, it was stupid to try and ramage his room for some clues on where he is. If he left his HQ then he must be somewhere in the air or in the sea, travelling to another country perhaps."

"Hwoarang, you told us to do this." Lili and Asuka said together.

"Well, I didn't know you two can't take a joke."

Lili laughed on the other line. "No. of course we knew you were joking. I just wanted to see the dojo again. We'll come out now and wait with you for Lar's report."

The call ends and Xiaoyu puts aside the radiophone. Hwoarang stopped tossing the gun around when he saw Julia running from the street in front of them.

"Hey, Julia, why're you here?" He asked the girl who looked frantic in her run.

"Jin…we've been able to track him." She started off in guttural voice.

"Where is he?" Xiaoyu asked with anticipation.

"He…he's coming here…at the Dojo." Julia finished, and the two were quick to call back on Asuka and Lili.

"Asuka, Lili. Don't come out anymore. Jin is coming there to the dojo." Xiaoyu warned her friends with composure.

It takes a moment before they get a reply. "We're hiding now. We've seen his car from the window." Came Asuka's low voice.

The three from outside scramble to get a look at the front of the dojo. Sure enough, a black signature Mishima Zaibatsu car had unserenely parked in the frontage of the Dojo. It was parked in a perpendicular way, almost hitting the door of the entrance, while its butt blocked the immediate sidewalk.

They saw Jin walk into the door, opening it with a violent twist, and closing it behind him after he's inside.

"Should we go inside and back them up?" Hwoarang asked under a mildly anxious voice.

Xiaoyu was ahead of him in the idea. She had walked halfway through the street but Lars came in front of her.

"Stay back Xiaoyu. We can't let him know that we're here." She was instructed.

Xiaoyu clenched her fist and went back to Hwoarang and Julia's side. Lars, along with Steve joins them.

A humming from above can be heard, as Alisa floats close to the house, but far enough to be undetectable.

"In case of an explosion, she can fly quickly to carry them outside." Lars explained, as the others seem confused about what Alisa is doing.

"Where's Anna and Lee?" Xiaoyu inquired, not seeing either of the two.

"They're driving the car here." Steve answered her. "Oh, there they are."

It was the same van used in the Kyoto bank Infiltration, but two of them were parked behind the others now. Anna and Lee came out from each.

"If we get to live, can I break that van apart?" Hwoarang muttered with great distaste.

"We should ready the gun now." Lars ignored the previous question. He took out a velvet cloth from his side pocket and handed it to Julia.

"But it's with Hwoarang, how do we give it to Lili?"

"Just load the gun and we'll be able to throw it to her from the window. Alisa will make an opening."

Julia looks unconvinced. "Ok." She takes the bullet to Hwoarang.

* * *

Jin locks the door behind him as if he was afraid that someone will come in. He lifted his head and studied the dojo. The place where he believes that all its resident's have died because of him.

He takes a step to the stairs and see's the kitchen and the living room. The pillows of the couch were thown in the floor, while two chairs in the dining table were pulled out. The place was exactly how he and Asuka had left it.

The memory is barely clear to him. But the feelings were. He felt his throat suddenly thicken. His hands closes around the gun in his pocket.

_If there is a place to do this. It's here._

He thought to himself. He reaches for the handle of the pistol, and takes it out from his pocket. His hands carefully carries it.

_Would this be enough to kill him?_

It was unknown. The devil could posses him and prevent him from dying, no doubt about that.

_There's enough bullets to try it._

He decided firmly, placing the muzzle in the side of his neck.

His finger rests soflty above the trigger, and he was ready to shoot. Except, a thud downstairs takes his focus.

His eyes shift to the stairs. Another thud executes. Someone is there with him.

He puts back his gun on his pocket, then he slowly comes down to the first floor. It was empty.

His eyes roll from side to side. Another thud.

He turns to his back, not a second to look at his company, he gets flown to the wall by a massive kick in the abdomen.

His abrupt contact to the wall causes a minor shake in the whole building. He lifts himself and rests his back on the close by window. It takes him a minute to raise his eyes and see who is with him.

"Asuka!" He yells, afraid that it must be the ghosts hunting him. "I want to apologize for everything…I didn't mean to do all of that. But I wasn't in control of myself."

"What do you think you're doing now?" Asuka aks him, lifting up a voice that spooked the other being.

"I'm just returning everything back to the way it should be. I never should have lived, I should have died along with Kazuya and Heihachi like I always planned to." Jin started to fall on his knees. "I took all of your lives, it's time I make amends."

Jin took out his gun. Asuka moved quick to grab the gun out of Jin, but she was pulled back. Lili took her by the wrist, swining her to back away.

The window behind Jin shatters violently. The shards of broken glass flew everywhere, but most importantly, a loud gunshot and a fiery smoke overtook the whole scene.

* * *

Julia hands the bullet, now tucked in the magazine for Hwoarang to inject into the butt of the white handgun. The auburn head takes it and slides the magazine up and inside. He slides the barrel of the gun outward before letting it go and officially loading the bullet.

"Ok, we wait for Alisa's signal." Julia instructs him.

However; out of everyone's eye that we're all focused in the dojo, Hwoarang accidentally pushes on the trigger, not knowing so, because he only intended to fix the position of the barrel that went too forward from the muzzle.

The bullet fires, leaving a trail of smoke on the gun that Hwoarang held. The other's covered their ears from the fierce sound that it erupted before it swiftly, wihout a beat, hit the window of the dojo.

"Hwoarang!" everyone chorused, looking at the auburn head.

"Jin was just shot! Who shoot that?" Asuka yelled from the clear window panel, with glass debris still falling apart on the sides.

Hwoarang dropped the gun from his hand. "I did not mean to do that." He said, raising up his hands like a criminal caught in crime.

Xiaoyu ran to the dojo, she broke down the door, and saw Jin, lying in the floor, blood scattering below his body.

Asuka and Lili went close to Jin, and took each of his arm, intending to carry him out of the dojo.

"Wait," Xiaoyu raised her hand, stopping the two girls. "Something's wrong.." She watched as Jin's body's turned into a violet shade.

A malignant feeling was coming out in a black aura from Jin's body. "It's the devil, it's trying to get away from his body." Xiaoyu "It's going to leave Jin to death."

"What? I thought the gems were supposed to seal it, not make it come out." Asuka looked as nervous as she talked.

"That's if we broke it with the gun, but we didn't." Lili reminded her. "And I guess shooting Jin with it caused the devil to come out , what are we going to do?" Lili's nervousness had creeped in by now.

The aura sips away from Jin's body, like a skin peeling away. Then it floats in the air, and circles and forms into a body with wings. It was a muddled, and smoky like the spirit of a ghost.

The three girls back up, and Xiaoyu ran to Asuka and Lili. "Take out the gems, maybe they can do something." Xiaoyu shaked Lili to hurry up.

The blonde took out one of the gem, while Asuka had the other. The exhilarated Chinese took it from their hands.

Xiaoyu turned around and faced the devil. Below him she could see Jin, out of consciouncess. The fear that he's already dead digs a painful throb in her chest.

"You've been making him suffer for so long now. If there's anyone here who needs to die, it's you!" Xiaoyu throws the gems in the air, and the devil had little to no time to escape its power.

Before letting it go directly, Xiaoyu lifts her hand, and slashes it through the blades. The power of her whip can be expressed by how the gems separated into tinier pieces before going into an eruption.

The whole dojo started to shake, and rumble. The third floor ceilings started to fall, and quickly, the second floor follows. Asuka and Lili run and duck to take Jin, as Xiaoyu takes the last step out to run away. She wateches as the devil begins to ablaze and seemingly suck into oblivion.

They reach the door before the first floor falls apart, and by the middle of the street, a blast comes after them. They fall on the ground, and roll a few meters before halting. Alisa comes after them and instructs them to quickly hold onto to her.

Asuka and Lili held her in the right arm, while Xiaoyu took Jin by the stomach and hanged on Alisa's left arm with her free hand. Alisa flies them in jiff to the van that was imperically waiting for them.

Another blast, much more stonger than the first sets off again.  
But no one paid attention to it.

"We need to take him to the hospital." Lars took Jin's body and loaded it in his Van. Lee nodded from the driver's seat.

"Hurry up so we can leave now." He told his half brother.

"Wait, I'm coming." Xiaoyu raced for the Van's door. Lars didn't hesitate to let her ride, and without another second, their Van was off.

Screams started to burst forth.

"The neighborhood is in chaos. The blast started a fire." Julia ran up to Asuka and Lili. "We need to do something."

"I have sent a fast action request from the nearest fire station. We should first clear the area of civilians for now." Alisa attested coolly.

"Robots are so cool to have in emergency situations. Thanks, Alisa." Julia made a comforted smile.

Asuka and Lili looked at each other, then they made a weak smile. "We'll do it." They said, and left in a run. Alisa took flight again, intent to help with the clearing.

Julia was on her way as well, but she saw Hwoarang standing without movement at the corner opening of the street.

"Hwoarang, you coming?" Julia went next to him, and carefully placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You do believe he will survive? Right?" Hwoarang asked her.

Julia simply nodded. "His Jin Kazama, feared by all. A simple Hwoarang can't kill him."

"Now that is not a compliment."

"Moping like this is not like you. Come on, help us with getting the people here to safety." Julia took the action of encircling her hands on Hwoarangs, and slightly pulling him out of the street. She was, in a soft way, dragging Hwoarang with her.

"I'm going to wait for the day that you mope and I'm going to say that back at you."

Julia laughed softly. "Please do so. I like a little cheering up when I'm sad."

* * *

The fire took hours to extinguish, and by evening, Anna got a call from Lee.

"They told us to go the hospital. Hurry up, I'll drive." Anna commanded the others.

Hwoarang, Julia, Alisa and Lili were already inside the car, but Asuka was still standing outside.

"I'll just follow. I know where the hospital is." Asuka explained. She didn't say anything more and just walked away.

"Do what you want." Anna said. The car engine started. And Lili felt uneasy to leave Asuka.

"Wait, I'll just come with Asuka later." Lili opened the door and went out of the car.

Several minutes later, she found Asuka standing in front of the ashes that was the dojo just hours ago. The wood had all burned down, and the cements were crushed with water washed all over them. Smoke was rising up from the pile, with the odor of burnt and humid water.

"Well, there goes our prize Lili." Asuka felt the presence of the worried girl behind her.

"It could've been worse. We could've been that." Lili went side by side with Asuka.

"If I knew this was going to happen, I should've took some of the stuff there….there are a lot of memories in those stuff."

"What stuff?"

Asuka gave Lili an annoyed look. "Tell me you're not serious."

"We can replace those sheets, and I can always make you wear my other clothes." Lili answered in a childish manner with a sweet, sarcastic smile at the end.

"You seem oddly easy to move on from this."

Lili's smile fades away and turns into a serious note. "It's because I feel like it was meant to happen. The dojo burning down, and Jin getting shot accidentally. It's like a clear sign that everything is over now."

Asuka looked at the ashes of the dojo. She remembers a lot of memories there, it was sad to let it go, but having it gone did give her a certain feeling –change.

"You're right. I can't explain it, but looking at the dojo like this, it's like telling me that there is no more Alliance. No more Jin the Devil."

Asuka was waiting for a reply, but the girl with her suddenly became so quiet. She turned her head to Lili.

"Hey, don't go mute on me." She bumped her elbow on Lili's.

"Regardless of how Jin will turn out…we were still able to stop him, right?" Lili's voice trailed.

"Ah, yeah. We weren't counting to meet the devil but Xiaoyu took care of that…too easily."

"….to sum it up, my exotically messed up idea actually worked..."

"Of course it did." Asuka sighed, feeling a great surge of relief. "A lot of times it sounded crazy, but it still got through."

Asuka spun her body so that she is face to face with Lili. She gave the girl a megawatt smile. "Congratulations Lili, I should be the one who's proud to have you."

* * *

Next Chapter will be uploaded soon. Chapter 38 will be the last and final chapter of the fic, until that time. Have a great day everyone.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: **:D! ok. I'm done. It's finished.

Thank you for everyone who followed. For the kind people who made this a favorite and by extension, even me. For the great commentators, all of your reviews are just awesome and heart melting. And for all those who were patient, both with the story, and with me.

We all deserve a good ending.  
Happy reading everyone.  
And have a great day after :D

* * *

**Romak 1997: **Haha, I'm really sorry for making you undergo such a trauma. Nice, I'm happy it turned out swell. And, thank you, always. I can't say how much I appreciate the praises and the trust you give me. I hope I made it to your expectations until this very end. Have a great AsuLili day ahead! :D

**Lilu Yori: **I hope no one was around to hear your noise, otherwise, I might have got you into trouble. Thank you for the support. I hope this last chapter was worth looking forward to. Have a great AsuLili day ahead!

**AsukaEnergetic1: **Yes. Those girls are the queens of flirting :D. Haha, well, that's Hwoarang's way of commenting you ;) Ok. This is what happens in the final chapter. **  
**Since this is the last, I want to thank you for giving a review in almost every chapter :D I appreciate it so much, and your comments are things I really consider in the latter part of the story. I hope you like the final Chapter. And have a great AsuLili day ahead! :D

**Sneeringflame:** Yes, And I'm proud to have one of the most patient readers in earth. The time I stopped writing was long even for my calendar, so I can't say thank you enough, as how much I appreciate that dedication of yours to come and read still after a long break. Thank you for believing in the goodness of the story. I hope I make you happy with this ending. Have a great AsuLili day ahead! :D

**Mhuki: **I should've added more Anna moments then ;) Yes, the rush comes from the fact that the scene was meant to be an accident. It's like that saying about doing things fast. If they fought like they planned from the start, then the battle would surely go long, and a lot more damage was going to be done. But by accident, Hwoarang finishes things quickly, and without meaning to, they discover a better, actually easier way to get the fight with Jin. They were dreading to harm him, so it was the best thing to have happened. No one intentionally got to hurt Jin. And the devil was forced to come out of Jin's body because of near death experience, but he was already weak at that time, that's why he was in smoke form, so chopping him into oblivion with the sealing gems were easier too. Yeah, the dojo was the biggest setting of the story, but burning it, like Lili stated, felt more final in ending their journey. Glad you like the pairings, or something like that. Either ways, yeah, I admit, it was a bit rushed. Sorry bout that. Yeah, the dojo was the biggest setting of the story, but burning it, like Lili stated, felt more final in ending their journey. Glad you like the pairings, Glad you like the pairings, haha, Jin and Xiaoyu needs more love :'D  
Haha, well, I think there is enough AsuLili in this chapter. Thank you for all the support you gave me! Reading stories can sometimes be strenuous too, so I really appreciate all the time and effort you give to reading the fic. Have a great AsuLili day ahead! :D

* * *

**38) Epilogue**

* * *

The Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters have turned into an empty, abandoned building.

Nina stood in front of the main control system, clicking through multitude of folders and data. The blue light of the screens illuminating her pale, white skin. The room she was in is locked down by codes and doors made of titanium. No one is supposed to be able to come in.

"It's rude to stare at someone working." The blonde vixen stated, knowing exactly that she is addressing someone in the room with her.

"I'm sorry. My mother never taught me that." Came the reply of a deep, husked voice.

"Well, you must have the worsest mother." Nina made a last click on the keyboard. All the screens shut down one after another.

"I know. My aunt told me that she was the worsest sister as well." Steve came out from the shadow of the corner, dressed up in black shorts and a white hoodie.

"What can I say? Anna has always been a tattle-tale."

The considered cold assassin walked in circles around the boxer.

"Tell me why did you join them?" She crossed her hands under her chest, expecting a long story or either a long reason.

"Because I believe that I'm the only one who can stop you." Steve answered, eye to eye with her. "You might be as evil as they say, but you didn't kill me when you had the chance. That's enough for me to know that you care."

"It was a one time pity. I could finish the job now if I wanted to."

Steve grinned. "Or I can just say that I'm the one who cared about my mother. I wouldn't want her getting into toxic trouble under the Mishima."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "My, what a sweet child I have." She moved across the room, with Steve's eyes focus on following her. She pushes on a button at the wall, causing the metal barricade on their right to open, and reveal a humongous window.

"Since you cared so much for me. I'll have to warn you to brace yourself." Nina sprinted in vicious speed, cuffing Steve in the hood of his jacket and throwing him out of the window.

Steve breaks through the glass and starts to fall in the air. He was thrown out the window, at the 26th floor of a building.

He felt gravity pushing him down hard, and just when he thought that he was done for. Nina jumps out from the same floor –a big explosion chasing her in the feet –she stretches her hands, letting her fall faster, and faster, until she whips out a thread from her black latex suit and entangles Steve's arm in it.

The Mishima Building explodes, floor by floor, almost catching up to the mother and son.

When the ground was getting too close, Nina whipped out another thread. She swung and threw it, tying it to a nearby post. The cemented post bends and takes down bundles of electric wires with it. But its' weight and stand was enough to slow down the velocity of Nina and Steve. By the second floor of the Headquarters, Nina pulled harder on the thread tied to the post, effectively keeping the force of contact on the ground as light as possible.

Steve hits the ground on his back while Nina was on her front beside him. Barely no sound was made, except the falling of the post, hitting the ground and cars beeping everywhere from the sudden obstruction in the road.

Steve's arm ached from the tightness of the thread. He looked up and saw the figure of the Mishima Zaibatsu, burning as hell would have it.

"What kind of landing is that?" Anna appeared with a gun on Nina's neck.

"One that I imagine you can never do." Nina rolled on her front and kicked the gun out of Anna's hand. She stands up, looks at Steve and let's go of the thread.

She tries to run away, but Steve got up and tied her hands on her own thread.

"Let go of me." Nina warned him.

Anna had regained her gun and pointed it under Nina's chin, tilting the blonde's head a little upward. "We still have business with you." The bob head proclaimed.

* * *

Shortly after Nina Williams was taken to Lars, the whole group heard about the abolishment of the war. It turns out that Nina's final job is to destroy everything about the Mishima Zaibatsu –the reason why she self-destructed the whole Headquarters.

She was brought to freedom after a short interrogation and Steve led her to see Jin.

Inside a room big enough for twenty people to fit, Jin Kazama laid unconscious in a bed at the center. His chest was covered in bandages. A tube was on his mouth, and a dextrose was injected on his left hand.

Xiaoyu sat on the chair directly adjacent to Jin. She looked up at Nina arriving and stood up.

"I heard what you did about the Mishima Zaibatsu. Thank you, about that." The Chinese was still melancholic in her voice.

"I wouldn't do it if it weren't for his order." Nina looked at the frail figure of her former employer.

"He was shot at the back of his chest. The bullet that hit him melted in his system, Lars-

"I know, the bullet stayed there to prevent him from ever getting possessed again. I don't need to hear it twice."

Xiaoyu nodded weakly. "Would you want us to leave you here?"

"No, my only concern is to know that he lived. He looks awful, but he's alive." Nina turns around and leaves the room.

"I'll walk her out." Steve told Xiaoyu.

"Yeah, Ok." The Chinese agreed. When Steve closed the door on his way out, Xiaoyu went back to her chair.

She stayed there, waiting for a long time for the man in the bed to open his eyes.  
Days turn into nights, and some days she would have company. Her four friends would change shifts with her, or at least accompany her.

Things were happening outside the room. While she stayed there, being as static as the one she was looking after.

And then, one faithful afternoon, as Xiaoyu sat on her chair and stroked the hair off of Jin's face, he reacted. It was a small movement, that Xiaoyu almost missed it.

But the reaction went again, longer. Jin was stirring in the bed, and his face was crunching up. But he didn't wake. She was happy to have him move though. The doctors came in the day, and she acted like a nurse, helping in medicine intake or injections.

And then the reactions were becoming more frequently, until slowly, after another successful operation in his chest. Jin finally woke up.

He first saw the ceiling of the hospital recovery room. The whiteness overtakes him, making him believe he was in some sort of heaven. He cried, thinking that he didn't deserve to be there.

But just as his guilt was rushing to him. Someone caressed the tear away from his face. A familiar face peeks at him, and presses her hand on his cheek.

"Xiaoyu." He said, his voice trailing somewhere.

He still believed he was dead. He still believed that the girl with him is dead. He couldn't move his body since he was still under heavy morphines.

"Jin. Welcome back." Xiaoyu told him. "My real Jin." She added, smiling with tears falling on Jin's face.

The warm drizzle that travelled on the contours of his face. The sound and perfection of Xiaoyu's touch in his cheek. The salty taste that has reached his lips. It woke him up. It woke him up from his delusion.

And his finally realized that he was indeed. Alive.

* * *

One thing that happened outside the room was Hwoarang's decision to come with Julia in her adventures at the Arizona's.

"Nature is one of man's best medicine's Hwoarang." Julia said in an attempt to persuade him. "It will help you get out of your self-guilt."

They left four months ago, and they kept sending messages about their adventures there – fishing for food, running for kilometers of barren land and valleys, ripping in the waves of rivers, climbing the mountains and sleeping in the peak with birds waking them up from tremendous pecking.

One of the most interesting message was sent to Xiaoyu a month ago.

_Today, we took a walk at the horseshoe bend in Colorado. Hwoarang and I made a bet on who can climb the fastest up the mountain there. Of course, I agreed, because you know how terrible he is in climbing like in our past hikes. He gave me a five minute advance before he climbed. Well, I still got up first, but he didn't look as upset as he always is when I get to the top first. We chatted by the edge of the mountain, overlooking the scenery of a hot afternoon in the northern west. And, then he suddenly jumped off the edge. I forgot all about what we were talking about. I got scared and I shouted for help on top of my lungs. I was very nervous about looking down and finding him soaked in blood. But after awhile, I thought about how no sound of crashing came at all. I took this chance to get a look, and I saw him. I saw Hwoarang trying to stand up from this made up air bed just a crack of land below me. He smiled up at me and pointed his hand on the river. _

_The Horseshoe River was shinning aquamarine and yellow, and along its stagnant body, a big tarpaulin was floating. A tarpaulin that was asking me to go out with him._

_And, I laughed._

_"If saying no means that you'll really jump this time, I guess I have no other choice." I told him flippantly. He didn't like my answer, but he took it still. He climbed up again and I couldn't help but run up to him and hug him._

_Who knew this big badass could be very romantic?_

_PS. We prayed in the mountains for Jin's operation to go well. We'll be home soon to celebrate it with you._

_-Julia._

Xiaoyu took a month to reply back. She wanted to wait for the result of the surgery before she would say something back. And when she did reply, Hwoarang was more than excited to get back to Japan.

* * *

January came, and winter was starting to shower snow on the streets.

Asuka kept herself warm in the fireplace. She was holding onto a cup of hot choco, being strongly reminded of someone.

Someone she's been missing for 6 months now.

"I wish I can come with." Lili spoke out from the phone stuck between Asuka's ear and shoulder.

"Yeah. I mean he was asleep for eight months, it's both exciting and anxious to see him awake after that long time." Asuka answered after sipping some of her warm drink.

"That, and you. Specifically you." Lili stressed out. "But I don't have the money. Daddy's doing little as a company assistant, I can't burden him by asking a thousand dollar ticket."

"We know. I know. I miss you -bad. Like I drink hot choco every day just to feel you here."

Lili chuckled on the other line. "Hopefully I can squeeze a job while studying. Then I can earn enough money to come visit you."

Asuka laughed. "You? work?"

"For you. To see you. That's enough of a reason for me to do it." Lili teased her girlfriend with her ever heavenly sweet voice.

"Yeah, and like dating you for 11 months now, I'm pretty sure you can't do it."

"What a supportive girlfriend I have." Lili muttered sarcastically. "If I don't do that, the next time we'll be able to see each other is after I graduate from college. See the picture Asuka? That's 2 years from now."

Asuka felt annoyed that her choco had runned out now. She puts down the mug and places the phone on her hand. "Don't worry. I have my own resources here. I'll be the one to visit you there for once."

"Really?" The excitement in Lili's voice is enough to make Asuka smile to herself.

"You can count on it."

* * *

The next day,  
Asuka met up with Hwoarang and Julia from the Tokyo tower. They took a taxi to the Hideout, which isn't much of a hideout anymore.

Anna and Lee had left since 6 months ago, taking the same plane with Lili back to Europe. No one's sure, but it seems like the two were planning to do an around the world trip.

The idea played in Asuka's head.

Lee and Anna were spending tons of money and time together at some of the world's most endearing places.

Hwoarang and Julia were together for months in the Grand Canyons and Copper lands at Arizona. Again, together.

While here she was. Alone.

For the past months, all she's ever done is to go home, help in the dojo, study some college courses about business management because she needed it to run the dojo next and accompany Xiaoyu sometimes. But, her favorite part of the day was having at least an hour of phone call with Lili.

At times, she felt like they should lessen the calls since it's really expensive to make international calls, and just save the money. They'll save the money until one of them has enough to visit the other. She felt it. She tried it. She failed.

In the end, it was better to have those expensive calls and let their money be used. It was better to hear each other every day.

When they entered Jin's room, the once devil possessed was sitting up on his bed. Xiaoyu was at the entrance, welcoming them inside.

Hwoarang came with a big bouquet of sunflowers, blue lilacs, and white iris'.

Jin and Him shared looks and Hwoarang made a nervous step close to him.

"Dude…Man…Jin…, look, I'm sorry, I really didn't know that I pushed the trigger that time."

Everyone was focused at Jin, waiting for his response.  
His eyebrows went down, but his mouth slid up a little.

"It's alright, Hwoarang. By shooting me, you were able to get the devil out. I tried everything for years to do just that, but you did it without even trying. Thank you, for shooting me. It's your win this time." Jin gave a mild, almost-not-there laugh.

Hwoarang's smile was something close to what he could've smiled when Julia agreed to become his girlfriend. Right then, Julia rubbed Hwoarang in the back, giving him some comfort.

Asuka stood behind the two. She looked at Jin who was thinner now, and his eyes were dark on the sides. He looked liked a corpse who came to life. And after that little speech, he went to being silent.

That afternoon, chatting was the only thing they did.  
A lot of catching up and explaining.

Nonetheless, something was wrong. Asuka and Jin seemed to ignore each other. Or at least that's what everyone feels is happening.

The visit ends and the three left the hospital.

* * *

Some days later, Asuka was standing again in front of the former Tokyo Dojo.

The remains of the building were gone now. All that's left is grass growing in the vacant lot. She pressed a folder under her arm, standing in the street in a thick jacket and a scarf around her neck.

The snow had started.

She turned to her side and saw someone she didn't know why he would be there.

Jin stood a meter away from her. He was wearing heavy black jacket and boots.

"Hey," Asuka tried to start a conversation.

"The place is cleaned." Jin looked anxious to come near to her, so he stayed where he is. "I still can't believe that before I closed my eyes, it was still there. Now, that my eyes are open again, it's not anymore."

"Yeah, well I needed to clear it for the selling." Asuka shared.

"You're going to sell it?" Jin inquired in great disappointment.

"The Dojo's gone, but the property of the place is still with the prize. We don't have the cash to build something here, and…."

"And?"

"I plan to give the money from selling this to Lili, to her family. I never could've won this property without her. Now, she's the one who needs my help, and this is the only way I can see how."

Asuka looked at Jin. The guy was listening to her, but he looked emotionless, except for a hint of sadness in his face.

"I want to apologize again for everything I did to the both of you. I'm partially of fault why this needs to happen." Jin said, his eyes looking at the empty lot.

Asuka looked at Jin and then at the lot, and then at Jin. "Hmmm," she contemplated. "You don't suppose you can buy the lot? I mean, you are rich. Besides, this lot is really big and it's close to the center of Tokyo, you could build a lot of things here. Most importantly, I won't have to find a buyer anymore."

Jin looked at Asuka, quite thinking about it.

"Absolutely no family discounts," Asuka said in a matter-of-factly. "And…consider yourself forgiven once it's sold."

Jin's eyes seemed to spark in the latter sentence.

"If I buy this lot, you would forgive me?" He asked carefully.

"Yes. I'll even talk Lili into forgiving you as well." Asuka answered, hoping he would really, really do it.

Jin gestured for her to give him the folder, she handed it quickly.

In a second, Jin ripped it off in half, and another half, and finally, the paper turns to shreds and melts in the damp snow ground.

Asuka was wide mouth. Too shocked, too angry to even know how to react. She chased dozens of people to get those papers done. She worked for days cleaning the lot so that she can get those papers approved. Yet, now, it was all just wet rubbish below her feet.

"Before you try to kill me, Asuka. I want you to listen to what I have in mind first." Jin claps his hands to get rid of the shreds left in them.

It wasn't like Asuka had any other choice now.

* * *

Reports about a blizzard of rain has been forecasting in the living room of Lili's house. The mansion she once lived in before has been sold months ago, as soon as she came home. Gone were the wide spaces and many rooms, and service crew. Now she was living in a fairly small house, alone with her father.

They worked through life like they never imagined they would.

Her father started to work for somebody. Something he never thought he would do.  
Lili attended the cheapest state at Nice, France. Something she never thought she would do.

The house they lived in was a simple two-storey residence with two bathrooms for each floor. The living room is to the right of the front door, with the stairs on its immediate left. After the living room is the kitchen-joined-dining area. The house had two rooms, barely a fourth of her previous bedroom size.

Mr. Rochefort sat on the couch in front of the chimney, sitting there, listening to the news that Lili had opened.

"Turn off the news Emilie. You are just scaring yourself." The father couldn't stand the infinite pacing her daughter was making in the living room.

Lili stopped, she reached for the radio and turned it off. Right on cue, the phone rings.

She runs across the other side and takes it.

"It's no.24, right?" Came the voice of her girlfriend.

"24?" Lili asked, confused what the girl was talking about.

"The block of your house, is it number 24? Cause if it is, I'm already outside."

"What!" Lili left the phone hanging, and Mr. Rochefort had to put it back for her.

The blonde head, worried and angry, came to the door and opened it rapidly. She saw Asuka's figure, all soaked in rain above her thick blue jacket and beanie.

Lili wipes all the snow away from the ebony. "Seriously, it's our first anniversary and you make me worried about how you're plane will land safely with this blizzard."

Asuka only laughed. "Don't laugh there, Asuka. I even told you to call me when you're at the _airport_, not in front of my door."

"Well, I didn't want you to go out in this blizzard." The ebony reasoned, giving a heartwarming smile to her girlfriend.

Lili's heart melted. Even if the temperature in Monaco has dropped to 9°, she felt like melting ice cream out in the summer sun.

She stepped closer to Asuka, wrapping her hands around the fat jacket in the ebony's body. She held her tight and ran her one hand up behind Asuka's back. She leaned in and kissed Asuka needingly in the lips.

She missed this so much. She missed the feeling of having Asuka in arms length. She missed the warmness that never fails to travel in her entire body, causing even jitters to run up her spine whenever she kisses Asuka. She missed every fiber of having Asuka right there, where she could touch her.

The kiss ended up becoming a game of dominance as Asuka replied back her need with an equal –if not stronger –need of her own. She pinned Lili closer to her, wishing she'd took off her jacket first before doing this. She wanted so badly to have their bodies touch even more. A little more skin contact. That's what she wanted. So she slid her hand under Lili's shirt, taking in the feeling of her girlfriends smooth, cold, but oddly hot to her touch skin.

As they broke apart, brown eyes met with light blue. The two of them smiled. And then they leaned back again for a longer, more softer kiss.

"I still can't believe you really came here." They weren't kissing anymore, but they still held each other closely. "I thought you were just joking when you told me that you would visit me for our anniversary." Lili gave Asuka a fast peck in the lips. "Thank you Asuka. You don't know how much this means to me."

"You talk like you're the only one who's happy. I always dreamed about doing this, you know?"

"Bracing a blizzard to meet me at our first anniversary?" Lili asked sarcastically.

"Giving you the life you always deserved." Asuka said, with a smile that hid more happiness than what she can express in words.

Lili looked confused at her. Asuka couldn't help but laugh another time. She reached up and kissed Lili. "Just hear me out. Trust me, you're gonna love me forever after you hear this." She said with their lips still grazing.

The couple enters the house, and later on in the night, thrills of happiness would fill the neighborhood.

* * *

**A year later**

* * *

After a year of demolishing and rebuilding, Jin was able to bring back his company to life. But this time around, it was going to be different.

The high rise building known before as the Mishima Zaibatsu has been properly replaced by a skyscraper soaring higher than its predecessor. Its form was more abract, with curves in the edges, and its name was a better fit for its new goals.

The once popular Mishima Zaibatsu is now replaced as the Kazama Zaibatsu. And Jin is vent in the idea of making this company eradicate all the mistakes done by the Mishima decades ago. It was like a rollback on how Jinpachi managed things before.

The opening of the new Headquarters, of Jin's new company, and the announcement for another tournament next year was all being celebrated today.

At the last floor of the Headquarters was the multi-function hall, capable of admitting a thousand people at once.

Many people came to celebrate the triple celebration, and one table inside that venue held the most important of guests.

Inside the red carpeted, white wall and ceiling were at least a hundred blocks of round tables. Table number 1, the very last table at the corner of the room was enjoyed massively because of being placed right in front of the balcony.

Here in this blessed table, sat three of the VIP in the celebration.

Asuka was on the left side of the table, wearing a fitting assymetric black dress.

The man in front of her had a suit with black pants and an orange vest. While the girl next to him, familiarly looping her hand on him was on a turquoise sheath dress.

"So, basically, Jin gave you the Rochefort enterprises?" Hwoarang asked the ebony across his seat in the big circular table.

"He didn't give it. He transferred the deeds of property in my name under tha stature that I'm his legal relative." Asuka explained, as shortly as Jin explained it to her before.

"Couldn't he just gave it back to Lili's family directly?"

"Well, yeah, that is the logical thing to do, but…he wanted to help me out."

Hwoarang and Julia exchanged looks. "Help you out where?" The two asked.

Asuka looked around, she found Lili and her father talking with Jin from the corner of the sliding door out the balcony.

"Mr. Rochefort didn't actually approve of me, and I think it got worse after the incident where we thought Lili died."

Hwoarang's eyes bulged out, finally understanding it. "Oh, so Jin transferred the Rochefort Enterprise to you so that you will be its owner and..." Hwoarang had to laugh before he continued. "And you're going to be your father-in-law's boss! Man, I gotta say, shooting Jin is the best thing I did in my life."

"Woah, don't do the names yet. He's only just cooled down on me. I haven't opened that topic yet…to neither of them." Asuka whispered the last part.

"What topic are you talking about?" Lili appeared behind Asuka's chair, encircling her hand around the ebony's neck and leaning down to give her a peck in the cheeks. "We've talked with Jin, no, I meant to say, daddy talked with Jin."

"And he said what?"

"He agreed to have another partnership with the Rochefort Enterprises, but he promised he won't steal the company again."

Asuka quirked an eyebrow. "Ah, that's good, but I still own the company. I don't want to get into matters like that."

"Don't worry, that can be easily arranged." Lili gave her an all knowing wink.

Hwoarang and Julia chuckled on the other side. "Well, Asuka, if you're not talking about that topic yet, seems like Lili is already suggesting it."

Asuka stayed quiet on her sit, while Lili kept asking what they were talking about. A tinkling sound of spoon hitting glass catched everyone's attention in the party. The acting host calls for everyone to sit down on the table as the food will be served shortly.

The open space in the center of the function hall quickly becomes empty.

Jin appeared at the table where his other friends were. Xiaoyu shortly took a run. She looked very tired from a lot of running. Jin smiled at her when she reached him.

"Having fun?" He asked.

"Extremely. They were really hard to convince." She giggled, thinking how childish she must be at that moment.

Jin moved the chair for her to sit on. Xiaoyu gladly sat on it. Jin sat next to her, who was then next to Asuka.

A few more people comes to sit down on the table. All of them having a part why that very party is even existing.

Lee and Anna appear to have settled down during the years, and rumors say that Anna has been showing signs of morning sickness, though the two of them was silent about the topic. Sneaky and private as ever.

Steve takes a sit down between his aunt and his mother. When people came in partners to the party, everyone had a mild of gasp at seeing him arm to arm with Nina. It must have took him a lot of asking in order for her to agree coming here. Especially when it involved seeing her beloved sister Anna. In the years that have passed, Steve never gave up on reaching up to Nina ever since the incident at the Zaibatsu bombing 3 years ago. They were still far from being a perfect family, or even a remotely close one, but they were on better terms now than ever.

It was fun to see how Anna and Nina would fight, while Lee and Steve would do their best to stop their women.

Lars and Alisa come at the party, dressed all ready for war. They had no idea what to wear for this sort of event, and Xiaoyu had to force them to change clothes. Now, after the makeover, Lars was wearing a white tuxedo, and Alisa was in a violet high neck.

Other tables in the room got filled quickly. Most of the guests are actually participants of the Tournament, who were there for the orientation of the new Iron Fist. Those who aren't from Tekken are either business partners, relatives or broadcasting crew. Of course, one of the biggest company's re-opening is a big event that deserves some spot in the news and gossip.

As weird as Tekken can get, these poor broadcasters were either teasingly threatened by the big muscled wrestler Marduk, or zombie android Bryan, or simply evil Feng (who was quickly thrown out of the door because of Mr. Kazama's intervention) or big but nice Ganryu (who keeps going near Julia, that Hwoarang started to get a bit of jealous). But that doesn't end there. These broadcasters finally left the place after seeing a bear take a barrel of beer and jug it down in one go, all to impress a panda? No. This party was weird beyond their taste of extraordinary.

Once the dozen chairs are occupied in the table, it can't be helped that the rucus was close to non-stop. After eating the Mediterrian course of the night, the people around the table started to leave again.

Most of the couples had gone to the dance floor, even Alisa was shyfully asked by Lars to join him. Asuka on the other hand, was stuck with Mr. Rochefort telling her about his transaction with Jin.

"And you see Ma'am-

Asuka sighed. "Mr. Rochefort, please stop calling me Ma'am. Asuka is just fine."

The man shook his head. "By all means you're the owner of the company now. You're my boss, and I should respect that."

"Yes, but aside from me being Rochefort Enterprises current owner, I'm still just your daughter's girlfriend."

"Still the same problem?" Mr. Kazama went close the other man.

"The two of you should learn to be closer to each other. Look at me and Dad, we act like were family already." Lili took her words to action by embracing Mr. Kazama, too tightly, but the man didn't mind.

"Yeah…" Asuka didn't know what to say about that.

In Lili's case, she wasn't the owner of their dojo and her father's boss, so this sort of tension is not applicable to them like it is with her.

"Come on. I'll take this one. You girl's have fun now." Mr. Kazama took a glass of champagne from the nearby table and gave one to Mr. Rochefort. He then walked off, making the other man come with him.

Asuka looked at the dance floor. It was all stuffed now. She didn't want to dance there.

"Come on." She felt Lili take her hand.

"Where are we going?" The ebony inquired.

"To the balcony. I saw from the door that it looked amazing."

* * *

And so they went out of the sliding door and was left alone in the balcony. They were 112 meters above the ground, and the wind was whipwashing in every direction.

Lili went to the edge of the balcony, resting her elbows on the railing.

Asuka looked at her. The girl was wearing an A-line dress, painted in red with white laces. She would've wanted to stare at how perfect this dress was in Lili's body, but a lot of people kept taking both their attentions away in that party.

She came behind Lili, wrapping her arms around the girl's stomach, and burying her head for a minute in Lili's golden locks.

"Finally, some alone time with you." Asuka exclaimed, sounding so desperate for this moment to come.

Lili placed her hand above Asuka's. She clasped it, feeling the heat running in their bodies.

"I know how hard it must be for you." Lili said in a low voice, like she's afraid that someone else will hear them.

"Hmm?" Asuka mumbled.

"Taking over the responsibility of the company. I mean my Dad and I can help you as much as we can, but I know it's not easy for you to be in that position. I know that your problems with Daddy is being cause by that."

"Oh, it's ok. It's pretty awesome to become a boss for once." Asuka smiled mischievously. She leaned her lips closer to Lili's ear. "Besides, I know a better way where you can relieve me from my problems."

"I take the company from you?" Lili asked, teasing along.

"A 100% please. I just want you. Not that money."

Lili giggled. "I'd have to marry you for me to get the legal right to do that."

"You said it." Asuka laughed. "But we're too young yet. Plus, we're still in college, and you're Daddy and me is far from being family."

"You should try calling him that."

"Daddy? I don't know…I can barely call him by his first name. I really think your pops doesn't like me."

"Nonsense." Lili turned around and squeezed Asuka's cheek. "Who wouldn't like this big, goofy, grumpy girlfriend of mine? She is to die for. Literally."

Asuka's eyes followed the hand that was squeezing her cheek. It was the kind of squeeze that would leave her face red for the whole night. She raised her hand up and squeezed Lili's cheek as well.

"I can try. If you tell him to stop calling me _Ma'am_."

Lili's cheeks stretched from the big smile on her face. "Consider it done. I'll warn him you'll take away the company if he doesn't do it."

"He's gonna hate me more if you say that."

Lili puts down her hand from Asuka's cheek and instead, moved to caress it. "He likes you. I promise. He said it himself. He just has an issue of separating work and personal life."

Asuka sighed in relief. She let's go of Lili's cheek and moves in to embrace the taller girl. Her tight embrace pushes Lili to the railing. Her hand circled the back of her girlfriend before resting at the curves of her waist.

"I don't really care. I just want to be with you, and I don't want anymore stalls or stoppages."

Lili wrapped her on arms around Asuka, effectively replying her hug. She heard what the ebony confessed, and she had one thing on mind to answer that.

"Well, if you want to be with me so much…there's this new five star hotel across the street. Rumor say that its suite are one of kind around here. They have a Jacuzzi inside the room. And, I remember we still haven't found a replacement for those blankets."

Asuka looked up, seeing the tempting smile and sedative eyes that Lili gave to her.

"Sounds like a night. But I'm not gonna wear that dress of yours."

"That can be done in another day."

"And we're not gonna get drunk."

"No. I want full awareness for the whole night. Again, that can be done in another day. And whatever other agenda's we need. We have all the days in our lives to do everything."

"Like rebuild the dojo in Tokyo?"

"Yes."

"And buy a new Limousine and Mansion?"

"Yes."

"And have me and your dad become closer?"

"Yes."

Lili smiled at Asuka, challenging the girl to keep the questions coming. They still have to wait for the party to finish anyways.

Asuka looked sideways, she seemed to be in deep thought.

"Get married?" she then asked, keeping her voice small.

Lili's repeated answer didn't come. She looked at Asuka, her signature strident smile forming in her face. Asuka felt distracted by her response.

"So, is that a yes?" Asuka asks.

"Yes. In every expression and definition." Lili answers.

* * *

I hope you guys liked that.

Anyways, I'm just here to promote my new AsuLili fanfic, entitled "Sour Grape" you can check it out, and maybe support me again there. :D  
I'll still reply to your reviews! :D


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Tekken, Adventure, Romance