Chapter 4 - Chemistry

Disclaimer - This chapter features the debut of Captain Bland! Reel at his monotonous adventures! Quail at the sight of his mediocre foes! Gasp as Captain Bland preforms underwhelming feats! Do not miss this average adventure!

Author's Note - So the powers that be are gathering to stop me from updating, using the ancient art of collapsing in on themselves every so often. Boo to the system.

Lili had made good on her deal, much to her chagrin and disadvantage it was.

She rarely had tutoring such as this; an average school. She was more accustomed to a private tutor and the ability to simply 'skip' subjects they disliked, as many younger aristocrats are, so the battle to not give Tensou the satisfaction of ridding her from his world was difficult. Not that she did not enjoy education, or at least in very specific fields. A number of her intrigues are quite typical of her social standing; classical literature, history and the stories of the many frescos of her native corner of the Mediterranean. However, it was her greatest love that was the most atypical; chemistry. Maybe unsurprising, considering her father's industry, but despite her somewhat childish behaviour and considered below-average intelligence, her and chemistry seemed to understand each other, know each other, reflect each other; the calm, ordered way that the myriad elements and compounds are described and documented hiding the burgeoning chaos and violence they were truly capable of. Even her father was impressed how well she understood it all, especially given her appalling mathematics, a subject that usually goes hand in hand with chemistry.

However, though some of these subjects were avoided, she behaved. She kept her head down and gave Tensou no reason to send her home. He wasn't going to win, she thought. She made nice with fellow students, who were somewhat surprised that the one who hadn't been in the school for over a minute and had already been to see the headmaster was such a blue-blood. She smiled politely, kept the conversations warm and friendly, studied to the greatest of her abilities regardless of the subject.

Her thoughts, though, were blood red.

She had taken several long hard looks at where she'd be fighting tonight. She recalled the distance from the gate to the road, the features of the same street, their relative distances; anything she could use to fight her challenge. Should she fight aggressively or defensively? What would the red-head do? Would he be active or reactive? This dominated her thoughts, kept her head spinning, made sure she didn't fly a fist at anyone ready to annoy her; her little reward for going onto Tensou's terms.

Even in the limousine back to the abode she, Sebastian and a few others stayed at, her thoughts were still on the fight for tonight. Possible tactics. Necessary preparations. How to make sure Sebastian or Tensou didn't know.

"Hmm?" She looked up from her thoughts.

"I asked how your day was, my lady." Sebastian repeated calmly. "How the school was. If you made any friends."

You could say I made a friend. She immediately thought. "It was a good day." She said as opposed to her thoughts. "The school's not what I'm used to, but I'm sure I'll grow accustomed to it. You've made a good choice." Sebastian nodded, smiling slightly.

"I'm glad it's to your liking." He said, looking back to the road. "It's a nice district."

"It is." Lili said. "I might go for a walk tonight. Explore a little." Sebastian's ear pricked. His smile waned.

"… a walk?" He asked. Lili chuckled.

"What, you think I want to go everywhere in a limo?" She asked, though she knew that wasn't his immediate concern. She saw him frown in the mirror.

"Of course. Shall I assume it is a private affair?" He asked suspiciously.

"If no one will come with me." She asked, knowing full well she won't ask any of her staff to come in the first place. Sebastian nodded.

"Quite." He said, the hairs on his arms standing up. That fight today was not a spontaneous affair; he knew it in his bones. Maybe not planned, but he knew that they must have clashed previously. He sighed. "Just tell me when you leave, and when you'll be back."

"I will." Lili said. Her eyes trailed back to the scenes whizzing by, and her thoughts snapped back to the school gates.

"What time is it, Seong-Hada?"

"Hamburger time."

"Why is it whenever I ask you what time it is, you tell me that it's time to eat hamburgers?"

"Because it's always time to eat hamburgers."

Hwoarang was about to answer back, but then a loud boom came from his stomach.

"Ha!"

"Can't eat now." He explained. "I've got a fight to have." The darkness of the Osakan street was a complete opposite of white of day. The pavements were now non-entities, simply pockets of complete obsidian. The sky was filled with stars that were white and yellow and blue and red and every colour a star can possibly be, though the moon's dark side was showing, giving even less light to the street than usual. The street lamps flickered slowly, one going orange from a lack of power, changing all colour to orange. Hwoarang looked around the scene, with some of his gang and a few other watchers eagerly waiting for a fight, then back to his blue haired companion. "In all seriousness, time."

"Around about half nine, give or take." He answered. Hwoarang huffed.

"Looks like no one's turning up." He said irritably. "Can't say I'm surprised about the blonde not showing up. All talk, no walk, I suppose, but…"

"I'll have you chewing those words."

Everyone turned around slowly to approaching footsteps. White boot hit black ground. White boot hit orange ground, turning orange itself from the lamppost's weak light as Lili came ever closer, the crowd dispersing at her presence and surrounded both her and Hwoarang. She looked around the arena with a slow gaze. Everything as she had remembered it, as she had examined it. She looked back to Hwoarang, and smiled.

"A large audience you've brought." She remarked. Hwoarang's jaw dropped, then curled into a smirk.

"Wait, you're fighting in a skirt?" He asked, chuckling slightly. "God, you can't be for real!"

"I don't see the problem." Lili replied. "Whether it is in a stiletto or a boot, a kick to your face will still hurt."

"I mentioned your skirt, not your shoes." Hwoarang looked away, looking for somebody. "There's still somebody missing, though." Lili's eyes widened slightly, then thinned. The hairs on her arms knew. Standing up, they somehow knew.

"I… see…" She scowled slightly, pushing her knuckles together. "- I hope she comes." Her head turned away, her brow furrowed, her eyes hardening.

Asuka and Kenichi watched from afar. The darkness of the streets kept them safe from myriad gazes from the watchers, but allowed them to watch Lili's face curl into a scowl.

"She looks strong." Came the father's hushed mumble. "And the redhead's not to be underestimated either." Asuka smiled slightly, but inwardly her heart was curling up into a ball, panicking at the prospect that she might end up disappointing her father. He was watching her! What if she lost? Would he be upset? Would he let her fight again? She desperately told her brain to stop coming up with evermore ridiculous scenarios; what if she was disowned? What if she did win and he didn't see and wouldn't believe her? What if he exploded out of sheer shame? She shouted in her head, telling herself that none of this could possibly happen; her father loved her no matter how good a fighter she was, nobody's ever exploded out of shame before, he wouldn't turn into jam, but still her brain ran panicking, desperate for answers it claimed it didn't know, only making Asuka feel worse.

"Should be fun, then." She smirked, cracking her knuckles confidently. "A blue-blooded psychopath and a cocksure biker. No problem." She lied, but before she could walk away, her father put a hand on her shoulder.

"Just pretend I'm not here." He explained, comforting her. "You were going to fight them anyway. I'm just watching, nothing more. Consider it training." Asuka chuckled.

"Alright." She answered, before walking into the light, a deadly though fake smile on her face. Somebody pointed her out, and the crowd parted as she approached the two. Lili looked to her.

"I should've known." She whispered to herself. Asuka's eyes darted to her.

"Got something to say to me?" She asked. Lili's eyes thinned, but she remained silent. Asuka smirked, then her smile faded. "You're wearing a skirt?"

"I don't see the…" Lili stopped, remembering that Hwoarang didn't understand her metaphor, and she doubted Asuka would either. "- yes. Yes I am. Would you like to point out the moon to anyone?" Asuka rolled her eyes as Hwoarang laughed.

"You just…" He shook his head, then looked to the matt of blue hair stuck in the middle of the crowd. "Seong-Hada, do the honours and start the…" He stumbled on his own words mid-sentence. "- start the… where did you get that hamburger?"

"Told you, hamburger time." Seong-Hada smirked, spraying meat out of his muffled mouth. He took another bite, and raised his hand, before dropping it suddenly.