A challenge that I can't face

            The day was hot and warm during this certain spring day.  The days grew longer and the trees were bright green.  The weather was supposed to be a premature summer but it felt as if Japan was in the middle of July.  The wind was warm and the sun burned.

            It had been two months since the tournament started.  Week after week, battle after battle; he passed it all.  However, it wasn't easy.  No way in hell was it easy.  The battles had been longer and tougher.  He had been praying for the end of it but sometimes, he didn't.

            Jin Kazama sat in his desk.  He raised an eyebrow as his stout teacher, Kiroshiro-sensei, took his pre-made x and y-axis and drew a perfect curve on the dry-erase board.  He was in room 4-C, back row, middle aisle.  The desks ran downwards, like a cinema, and on the ground level was the teacher's area.  Everyone in the class diligently took notes on the lecture of the curves the teacher discussed.  Jin had scribbled a few words in his notebook and a sample of the diagram.  While the teacher spat out vocabulary and steps how to make the curve, Jin raised another eyebrow.  It was difficult for him to take notes on the matter.  It's not like he was lazy or incompetent; he had one of the highest averages in his honors calculus class.  He just found it easier to pay attention and understand the skill of math.  After all, to him, math is a skill and not anything else.  He was the type of student his teacher got annoyed with; not showing a shred of work to save his life and yet getting the right answer.

            His small two-way pager vibrated in his pocket.  He opened it to see who messaged him.

            Jin-Jiney, I think we ought to find you a cool nickname.  Jin-Jiney is a cute nickname. I'm looking for something strong, fierce, and unbearably cool! Anyway, (ur nickname here), can u take me with you after school so we can get our fight lists?  I promise I'll try not to scream when you're going 47 km/h on Kawa-chan. –Phoenix

            He smiled.  Ling was always good for a laugh...and she wrote a lot.  He pulled the device in his lap and messaged her back.

            Sure.—(my future nickname here)

            When and where?—Phoenix

            @ Kawa-chan.—(my future name)

            K. –Phoenix

            That girl was something all right.

            After school, he packed his backpack and headed straight for his Kawasaki motorcycle, parked outside of the lockers.  He got it on his 18th birthday from Grandpa Heihachi.  It was nice and shiny with a black and silver paint job. There was a matching helmet, but he never wore it; it would mess up his hair.  It's not like he'd be pulled over anyway.  How could he reason it? Because his grandfather is a ruthless business man who embraces the power of the dollar and the gunshot...and cliffs.  He doesn't have to bribe the police; he owns the police. In face, he basically owns the city... if you want to go extreme, maybe the whole country. As powerful as he is, Heihachi has no sons to inherit his empire.  His adopted son disappeared soon after Heihachi threw his own son, Kazuya, over a volcano.  Jin frowned.  The only one left was him.  Hm...maybe one of his employees could take over.  Taking over the Mishima Financial Empire was not exactly on Jin's to-do list.

            Ling Xiaoyu ran up to him from the south side of school.  Her dark brown pigtails were bobbing up and down as she ran towards him.  She stopped as a 12th grader came up to her.  What the hell does he want? Jin thought to himself.  That little egg...That 12th grader said something but she shook her head.

            "Hi Jin!" she greeted.

            "What did he want?" he asked.

            "Oh nothing. Just my number." An unusual smile curled on her face.  "Why; you jealous?" she tweaked his nose.

            Jin's nose twitched in response. "You flatter yourself Phoenix.  Let's go." She pulled his backpack on her back.  He climbed on his bike and she sat behind him, while holding her own bag by hand.  They rode away and when Jin reached 50 km/h, Lind let out an ear-shattering scream.

            Anaka Sango loved Monday afternoons.  She was a 22-year old young woman, with light brown hair and a figure to make any supermodel jealous.  She wore a red tank top and a black leather skirt.  Plus, with this new push-up bra, that cute 19 year old had to want her.  Jin Kazama was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.  Sure he was a little younger, but he was probably a quick learner. She craved to have time with him but he was never alone.  He was always with Ling Xiaoyu, that young, spunky little 16 year old.  He couldn't possible like her, right?  Well, she sat behind her desk at the Mishima office building on 21st Street, waiting for the strikingly handsome man to walk through the door.

            At 4:45, he did with Ling in toe.  Anaka sighed but kept a smile.  Ling approached the desk. "Hi!" she greeted.

            "Hi, Xiaoyu," Anaka responded.  She handed her a long white envelope.  "Here you go." She turned to Jin, "and I have yours too."

            Jin held out his hand but she snatched it away from his reach.  "You know," Anaka said, bending closer to him.  "There's a new dance club that opens tonight on 18th Street..."

            Jin smiled. He grasped the envelope and pulled it from her. "That's good to know," he responded and walked away with Ling following.

            Anaka stood there, puzzled.  Was he ignoring her signals or was he absolutely oblivious?

            Jin woke up with a jump...literally.  Ling Xiaoyu was springing up and down on his king size bed.  "Get up!" she demanded.

            Jin groaned.  "It's a holiday; that means 'Jin sleeps in' day."

            "No! It's 'Jin promised he'll take me to our special spot the next time we have a day off' day! Remember?"

            She was right.  Jin recalled his promise he made about three weeks ago.  'Well, a promise is meant to be kept,' his mother would say. 'Don't make a promise you can't keep.'

            "Jin!" Ling yelled. "Get up!" She yanked the covers off him and threw them into the air, revealing the black track pants he was wearing.  In one fluid motion, Jin swept her ankles with one foot.  She fell on her back, her head hanging slightly off the edge.  Jin crouched over her body, supporting his weight with his hands and knees.  Ling felt a blush creep up her neck.  The blanket fell on Jin's back.  "J-Jin, what are you doing?"

            "What do you want me to do?" he smiled.

            "That's not funny! What if someone walks in and thinks something bad?" If Ling wasn't pink, she sure was now.

            He smirked. "Hm...that would be interesting wouldn't it?"

            "Don't come any closer; you might have morning breath," she warned.

            "What am I supposed to do?"

            "Keep your mouth shut and move," Ling ordered.

            "Fine," Jin closed his eyes and laid on her right side.  His head fell on her right shoulder, his arm wrapped over her.

            She froze, in a panic.  "Jin!" she exclaimed. "Get--." Her words stopped as she heard the door open.  As her head hung over the bed's side, she watched an upside-down Kuma open the door.  His eyes turned to the bed and a strange expression appeared on his face.  There was Ling in Jin's bed, Jin practically lying on top of her, with his covers over them.  Ling grew beet red.  "Kuma-san! It's not what you think!" she tried to explain but Kuma closed the door, snickering.

            "That's what you get for waking me up," he said as he rolled off her, pulling the blanket with him.

            Ling, in a fury, punched his arm. "Kuma-san saw us! What if—."

            "Who will he tell?" Jin laughed. He got out of bed and opened his drawers.  He pulled out a pair of loose fitting jeans and a black t-shirt.  He headed to the door.

            "Where are you going?" she asked. 

"To the shower.  If you want more action, you're welcome to come," Jin smirked, evilly.

            Ling's face turned pink again. "Shut up!" and she threw a pillow to his closing door.

            She sat on his bed, alone in the room.  She realized he doesn't have any close friends.  He had some at school, but she was the only one he constantly talked with.  He told her once that they were like best friends.  She was the only girl, in fact, the only person who he could kid around with; he proved it with this morning's antics.  But why her? Was it because he lived with her or was it because she was easy to embarrass?

            She could still feel Jin's warm body against hers.  She tried to shake away the upcoming blush.  "Quit it," she ordered herself.  Ling turned to his desk.  An envelope and two sheets, one white and another pastel blue, sat there.  Ling picked up the blue sheet.

Jin Kazama,

Congratulations on your progress in the King of the Iron Fist Tournament.  We are pleased to inform you that you are in its last stages.  If you win your fight that is scheduled this Friday, April 28, you automatically qualify for the final stages of the tournament which will commence the following Sunday, April 30. 

Good luck!

King of the Iron Fist Committee

            Ling put it down and picked up the other piece of paper.  Near the bottom of the page, in red ink, it said:

April 28, Friday, 18:30 – Ling Xiaoyu @ Mishima Industrial Technical College.

            Ling had opened her envelope last night; she prayed that it was a misprint.  However it was not.  She and Jin must face each other in three days.  Ling stood between Jin and the finals.

            Jin took the keys to his black Porsche and sat in the driver's seat.  He drove up from the parking garage to the front of the mansion.  Out the front door came Ling with a large picnic basket and a red and white checker blanket.  She climbed in the passenger's side with all her things on her lap.  They drove out of town to the green hills.

            The car fit through the glen but soon the vehicle stopped.  He took the basket, she took the blanket and they both got out of the car. 

            It wasn't until they sat down and opened the basket that Jin realized Ling prepared for this picnic.  He gulped, fearing a slimy creature would pop out at him.  Ling pulled out a small bento box.  Inside was six California rolls and tempura.  She handed him a pair of wooden chopsticks.

            "You...made lunch today?" Jin asked meekly.

            "Yuka-san made it," she answered.

            Oh, so the cook made it. Jin sighed in relief.

            "I know I cook like...well, I can't cook at all," she frowned.

            Jin popped a roll in his mouth. "Well, practice makes perfect, right?"

            After lunch, they sat on the dock that stood over the lake-bed.  Ling's legs dangled over the edge while Jin laid on his side.  "Is there stuff that live in this lake?" she asked.  Jin shook his head. "How do you know? You swam in it before?" she continued.

            Jin pulled himself to her eye level. "You see that beam over there?" he asked referring to the support beam beside her.

            She looked over its side and saw engraved in the wood: J & J Kazama 1992.  "J & J Kazama...you built this?"

            "My mom and I built this.  Our house was about ¾ of a mile north and when I was younger, we would go here and have picnics and stuff."

            Ling noticed a spark in his eyes just now.  His mother was the most important person in the world to him.  She couldn't believe that she shared this place with his memories. "Jin, it means a lot to me that you let me come here."

            He looked up at her and smiled; it took her breath away.

            As they were driving home through the business district, Ling let out a scream. "Pull over, pull over!"

            "What?"

            "Pull over!" she exclaimed.

            He moved the Porsche close to the curb and stopped.  She dropped the basket and blanket in the car and ran towards a window display for a clothing store.  On the mannequin in the front window was a bright pink dress.  It has a free-flowing skirt that hung to about thigh-length.  The rayon fabric was decorated with blue and gold flowers.  Her face squashed against the glass and she stared at it with complete awe.  "Wow..."

            "Ling, I have a fight this afternoon and I need to get ready," Jin said.

            Ling turned on her heels and headed towards him.  "Sorry, but look at that dress! It's so cute!" she climbed in the car, putting the clutter back in her lap.

            Jin shifted gears and pulled into the road. "What is it with you girls saying things are 'cute'?"

            "Because it is! Don't you think?"

            Jin shrugged. "I'm a guy; they're physically incapable of saying that objects are cute. We say 'nice'."

            She sighed. "Well, that a really nice dress." Ling looked over at him. "Who ya fighting?"

            "Paul Phoenix."

            "You think you can handle him?"

            Jin smirked. "We'll see."

            How can he be so calm about this week; he's on his way to the finals...I know it, Ling thought to herself.

            It was Thursday night.  Ling paced outside Jin's bedroom door.  What she should say and what she should do spooked her out.  She had no clue where to start. She hesitantly knocked.

            "Come in."

            Ling slowly opened the door. She gave him a timid smile.

            He knew that look. "What's wrong?" he asked as he waved his hand to her, signaling her to enter.

            "I..." Ling closed the door and leaned against it. "We have a fight tomorrow."

            Jin looked up from his government textbook. "Uh-huh...I thought we had this discussion before."

            "It's just--."

            "Come here," he told her.

            "I'm just--."

            "Sit."

            "But--."

            "Now!" Jin demanded.

            Ling shut up and joined him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

            "Ling, we're friends; really good friends," he started.  "It's just a fight.  Just do your best because I want us to fight the best we can.

            "You don't think it'll affect us?"

            "Nope.  I think our friendship is stronger than that."

            Ling's eyes trailed to the pastel blue note on his desk.  She looked at him and smiled. "Ok."

            "Is that all you're worried about?" he asked.

            Ling stood up on her feet. "I'll let you study." She quickly got out of the room and closed the door.

            Jin looked through his notes. "Dammit," he said, "Hiro must have my paper." He rolled over to the nightstand and picked up his phone.

            "Hi. Is this Julia?" he heard.

            "Yeah. Ling? Is that you?"

            "Uh-huh. I need--."

            Why was Ling calling Julia Chang? Jin asked himself.  He shrugged it off; it didn't really matter. He had to study for his test tomorrow.  Government and his match was more than enough to worry about.

(Note: Chapter One complete! Confetti!  Well, I hope you caught the dress reference.  It's called "fore-shadowing" and that's the only really important thing I learned in english classes. I'll have the continuation up ASAP)