My Rival's Paradise
You Jump, I Jump
"Slow down, Xiaoyu," Julia laughed. The two of them made their way over to a crowd of eager students standing next to a medium sized boat while carrying their luggage.
"This really is a great way to end our high school years," Xiaoyu walked quickly. "Just think, as soon as I get back from this trip to Jamaica, I'm going to be all tan, and I'm going to-." She cut herself off as she spotted the one guy she has been tailgating after ever since she laid eyes on him.
Xiaoyu gulped as she finished her sentence. "I'm going to get him."
"Haha, that's what you've been saying for four consecutive years," Julia laughed. "Face it, with this dude; you're going to need more than just a cute skirt and flirty words."
"Hey, I'm going to be stuck on a gorgeous island with him. Just think what I can do."
"Whatever you say."
"Hey, Kazama!" a young orange haired man stalked over to where another young man was sitting.
"You better not ruin my vacation this time," he snapped.
The other man did not answer as he continued to look out over the horizon.
"Hey, answer me, Kazama!"
"Don't make me...," the other man muttered not taking his eyes off from where he was looking. "And the name's Jin."
"Don't make you what, huh? I swear, I'm gonna have to resist from kicking your ass during this vacation."
"Hwoarang," Jin began softly. "Have I ever told you...?"
"Told me what?" said Hwoarang, already annoyed.
"That you bug?"
"Why am I not surprised?" smirked Hwoarang sarcastically. "Man, this is gonna be awesome. You wanna know why?"
Jin didn't answer.
"Cuz' I can get away from you!" Hwoarang laughed loudly causing several classmates to stare at him. "...What are you looking at?!" he snapped.
"Okay, class, let's file on to the boat quietly and in an orderly fashion," the teacher clapped her hands as she arrived on the dock.
Everyone quickly got into a line and climbed aboard the Mishima Transportation Ferry. Xiaoyu rushed quickly to stand behind Jin, dragging Julia behind her.
"Hello, Jin!" exclaimed Xiaoyu happily while waving a little bit too enthusiastically.
"Oh, hi," Jin barely turned around before turning his back to Xiaoyu.
Xiaoyu paused for a moment, noticing the awkward silence between them. "I am sooo excited for this, aren't you, Jin?"
"Uh huh."
Julia gave Xiaoyu a sympathetic smile. In a little while, everyone was aboard the ferry sitting inside a comfortable room with tables fitting around four people.
Jin sat a table alone for a while until he noticed a very angry Hwoarang standing in front of him. He lazily lifted up his head to notice the annoyance in Hwoarang's eyes.
"All the tables were full, so move," growled Hwoarang.
"Are you sure they just didn't reject you?" asked Jin with a small smile.
"I would've kicked their ass if they did, now move!" Hwoarang tried to slide into the seat across from Jin but Jin put both his enormous feet on the seat.
"Okay, I'm getting really angry now!" Hwoarang was planning to knock Jin's foot off with one swift and powerful kick but was interrupted by the giggle of girls.
"Hello Jin! May we sit here? All the other tables are full," grinned Xiaoyu batting her eyes but pouting when she saw that Jin wasn't even looking at her.
Jin lifted his feet off from the other seat as Xiaoyu happily bounced over next to him.
Julia was about to slide into the seat across from them but was knocked off guard when Hwoarang rushed inside to claim his seat.
"Hey, buddy! That was very rude!" Julia exclaimed with a glare that could melt ice.
"Hey, baby. Room for one more," teased Hwoarang winking at her, only doing that because he knew that Miss Hothead would only get angrier.
"I am not sitting there," Julia snapped pointedly at Xiaoyu.
Xiaoyu gave Julia a look of desperation as she darted her eyes over to Jin.
"I want the window seat," Julia informed Hwoarang after she regained her dignity.
"I'm not moving," said Hwoarang smugly.
"Come on, Xiaoyu; let's just go sit on the deck. It's much better than being around him," Julia emphasized the last word, glaring pointedly at Hwoarang.
"Julia...,"Xiaoyu gritted her teeth.
With a loud sigh, Julia plopped down next to Hwoarang, scooting away from him when he tried to put his arm around her.
"Touch me, I'll kick your ass," she warned.
"I'd like to see you try," he smirked.
"Maybe I really will when we get there if you don't shut up right now."
"Okay, then I won't shut up."
Julia growled and tossed her sweater down on her seat next to Hwoarang and buried her face in her arms.
"Jin," Xiaoyu asked giddily breaking the uncomfortable vibe from the previous incident. "What are you going to do when you get there?"
"I don't know. Go to my room, I guess," Jin mumbled still not looking at Xiaoyu.
"But wouldn't it be much more interesting if we all headed down to the beach?" suggest Xiaoyu, obviously hinting.
"Don't even bother, that's your problem right there. He isn't interesting," interrupted Hwoarang making Xiaoyu very frustrated.
"Ooh, you shut up!" she exclaimed.
"Make me," Hwoarang leaned back in his seat, licking his lips. Xiaoyu cringed and turned back her attentions to Jin.
"We should go to the beach together! It'll be fun!" she smiled at Jin, scooting closer unnoticed.
"We'll see," was Jin's silent boring answer.
"Um...I bet there's lots of animals there! I love animals! Don't you, Jin? My favorite animal is...," Xiaoyu chattered on and on for about two hours not noticing that Jin was only paying half attention and Hwoarang was plugging his ears.
"...And that is why I ever ate anything that moved again," Xiaoyu smiled, pleased at herself for being able to talk so long.
Jin lifted his eyes up to meet Xiaoyu making her blush a bright crimson red. She darted her eyes away after a couple of seconds.
"Finally!" Hwoarang threw his hands up in the air, clasping his hands together.
"Now what's your problem?" Julia's head snapped up from her long, two-hour nap.
"You guys wanna hear a real story?" asked Hwoarang.
"If it's going to be about you kicking some guy's ass, no, we don't want to hear it," Julia muttered.
"Damn."
It was around midnight and most people were asleep. A loud boom shook the ferry and everyone sprang up from their sleep to check out what was happening.
There was a raging storm outside, waves tumbled over each other, crashing as the once starry sky was now covered with dark clouds, rumbling and ready to pour.
"Shit, what's happening?!" Hwoarang yelled loudly as he ran out from his room, putting on his shirt while trying to fix his hair.
Julia and Xiaoyu opened up the door quickly to see that most of the passengers on the ferry were panicking, along with Hwoarang.
"Shit, we're gonna die! Damnit! We're all gonna die! This is the end!" he yelled while he ran around the halls, causing havoc among his peers.
"Shut up! You're making things worse!" yelled Julia angrily as she grabbed Hwoarang by the arm.
"Man, bitch! You can stay here and die all you want but I'm leavin'!" he broke free of Julia's grip and took off onto the deck.
"You idiot, get back here!"
"Jin, have you seen Jin?!" Xiaoyu cried frightened and almost about to revert into panic mode.
"No, stay calm, stay calm." Julia held Xiaoyu's hand tightly as she led her slowly onto the dock.
"W-what are you doing?" Xiaoyu asked with a hint of fear.
"Saving an idiot. Stay here," Julia took off with great speed and ran over to find the idiot, Hwoarang in vain trying to remove a lifeboat by himself.
"Hey! Get back here! Get back!" yelled Julia through the loud crashing waves. She ran forward and tried to tug Hwoarang away from the lifeboat.
"What the fuck?! Get out of here!" he tried to free himself of Julia's grip but she was surprisingly strong.
"What in the world are you doing?!"
"What does it look like?!"
"That's not yours! You're gonna take that by yourself?!"
"Better than waiting for all those idiots running around like rats on fire in there!" Hwoarang managed to get the lifeboat halfway overboard before Julia grabbed it, stopping him.
"Get on or get off!" Hwoarang snapped angrily. He knocked Julia's hand off and swiftly pushed the boat over. He quickly climbed atop the railing and was about to dive.
"You're not getting on that!" Julia had a hold of his arm again.
"The fuck I am, let's go," Hwoarang leaped off the boat, not caring that a shrieking Julia was practically attached to him.
The two of them plummeted down, as the waves slapped at them, Hwoarang swam through the current and was able to climb atop the lifeboat.
Julia waddled and gripped on the side of the lifeboat, staring at Hwoarang with an intense anger that not even she thought she knew.
"Just get on the fuckin' boat," Hwoarang held out his hand to her. She took it without question, just happy to be anywhere but the dangerous black water.
"No!!!" Xiaoyu watched in terror as she saw her best friend disappear over the railing along with the orange haired meanie she encountered earlier.
She ran over to where they used to stand and peered over the railing. She spotted the two of them, inside the lifeboat as the waves knocked it around. She took notice of Julia yelling angrily at Hwoarang and him yelling back just with as much fire.
"Julia!" Xiaoyu yelled over the railing. "Julia!"
Julia peered up to see Xiaoyu leaning over the railing, getting ready to jump.
"No! Stay back! Stay back!" Julia waved her arms around.
"I think she wants me to jump now," Xiaoyu thought to herself. She climbed atop the railing and was ready to jump.
Something circled around her waist and pulled her back. Xiaoyu kicked and screamed only to find that her rescuer and the only one standing in her way from her best friend was none other than Jin Kazama.
"Jin?!" she asked breathlessly. "I-I have to go!"
"No!" he held his grip tighter.
"Please! I have to!" Xiaoyu cried as she started to kick and squirm again in vain.
"Stay with me," he whispered in her ear. "Stay."
Xiaoyu, who would've froze up and danced around inside was too much in a panic mode to even blush.
She moved her head to face Jin. "Please. She's my best friend. I'm going to jump to her no matter what," she told him with tears in her eyes.
Jin was silent for a moment as he looked into her eyes, seeing the worry and yearning for her to jump.
She began to sob quietly and his hands loosened.
"I'm jumping with you."