Shattered
Chapter Eight, Part One: Sibling Rivalry
He sat on the cold seat of the swing, the long metallic chains dangling from the suspended metal bar. He clutched them as he swayed back and forth, his expensive sneakers covered in thick mud and rocking weakly above a puddle of rainwater that had formed underneath his feet. His head was bowed, the unruly obsidian hair plastered across his forehead from the heavy rain. He did not shudder from the piercing cold of the storm or flinch when the thunder roared through the darkness. He was oblivious to all that was around him. He felt like he was alone in this world enshrouded in shadow, as if he were standing on the edge of the world without anyone at his side. He was alone. Just like he was in the beginning.
He gripped the chains angrily, the past events of the week and of today reeling through his weary head.
"I don't care about either of them," he muttered angrily to himself, gripping the chains tighter. "It's not like I needed her anyway!"
He loathed himself after letting the words slip off his tongue, knowing that what he said was a lie. Regardless, he still wanted to hate her, WANTED to forget all about her. But in truth, he could not. He didn't want her to exist as a memory; she was much too dear to him to be a mere shadow of the past.
No...it was not SHE that he hated. It was him...the boy with the silver hair...
* * * *
"Kazuya-sama!" Jun called to him gently as she shook his shoulder. "It's time to get up."
He pretended not to hear her and buried himself underneath the security of his pillow. "Leave me alone..."
Despite her insecure nature, the younger child kept coaxing him. "Kazuya-sama, please. You'll be late!"
"Then let me be late!" He growled, turning onto his other side so that his back faced her.
She sighed, but she adamantly continued to shake his shoulder. "Come on, Kazuya-sama! Your father sent me up here to get you."
His eyes snapped open as he immediately sat up against his mattress. "...my father?"
Jun nodded. "Hai. He told me to wake you up because he had something he wanted to show you downstairs."
Raising an eyebrow, Kazuya slipped out of his blankets, his desire to return to bed slowly leaving him. "What did you see?"
"I didn't see anything," she truthfully answered. "I heard someone downstairs and I thought it was you because you usually wake up around this time. But I saw Mishima-sama coming inside the house, and then he told me to get you."
Feeling more curious than groggy, Kazuya gave in. "Get out now. I have to change."
Jun did as he told her, closing the door behind her and waiting patiently in the hallway. Kazuya yawned and gathered his school uniform, heading to his private bathroom afterwards. As he brushed his teeth, he wondered to himself why his father had been back so early from his supposed business trip from China. Usually when Heihachi went on a trip, he did not return for a few more weeks. What could have happened to send the old man back to Tokyo so soon?
Well, he'd figure it out once he was finished dressing.
After he was finished, Kazuya left his room to find Jun waiting for him. Side by side, they both bound down the grand staircase to the front foyer. As they descended each step, both children noticed the grim and sober figure of Heihachi Mishima, and a smaller figure of a boy.
Jun and Kazuya saw the child that awaited them at the stairs. His youthful face was hidden by a tangled mass of dirty, silver hair. The boy seemed to take an interest in his worn shoes, since his eyes did not make contact with either the dark prince or his companion. Kazuya nearly sneered at how messy and ragged the stranger's clothes were; he shared the resemblance of one of the many stray dogs that roamed around the streets.
"Kazuya," the deep voice of his father addressed him, "I would like you to meet someone."
Jun followed Kazuya closely behind, only to be stopped by her caretaker. "Jun-chan, go back to your room."
She looked at him in puzzlement, not taking the hint.
"This is a family meeting, my child. You are not to be here."
Jun looked confusingly at Kazuya, who reassured her with the steady gaze of his mahogany eyes. She hesitantly turned back, taking one last look at her guardian, and retreated up the stairs.
When they were alone, Heihachi looked at his son. "Kazuya, we are having a new addition to the family." He then gestured the other boy to take a step forward. "This is Lee Chaolan. He will be living with us from now on as your younger brother."
It took him an instant for the words to process through his head, but it was a while until he was able to understand. Kazuya took another look of contempt at the unkempt boy, not even attempting to hide the glare of hatred in his eyes.
"What is this street trash doing in our house?" He spat, not caring whether or not he would receive a good blow to the face as punishment.
"He is your brother, and you shall treat him as such."
"I will do no such thing. This orphan has no place here."
Heihachi drew nearer to his son, his steely eyes staring fiercely at the younger Mishima. "Are you deaf, boy? I said that he is to be a new member of our family. If you have a problem with that, than perhaps you should consult me about it during our sparring session in the dojo later today."
Kazuya only glared at his father, knowing what was implied in his arrogant voice. He took another glance of contempt at the silver-haired boy, whose eyes were directed towards the polished floors of the foyer. He did not know him, but already Kazuya was absolutely certain that he loathed the sight of him.
"Now, I already have one of the rooms prepared for your brother. It is the one to the left of Jun-chan's room. Take him there."
Kazuya defied his father's wishes by simply standing there.
"Do you not comprehend what I am telling you?" Heihachi spoke, impatience underlining his voice. "I said now."
With a scoff, Kazuya led the way up the stairs, the stranger named 'Lee Chaolan' slowly following him.
He did not turn his head as they walked in unbearable silence, refusing to look at something that was not worthy of stepping a foot into his house. He led him down the long hallway, passing the closed doors and the expensive portraits and furnishings that lavished the walls. The silver- haired boy looked around him in wonder; he felt as if he had died and woke up in a paradise. Never had he seen a mansion such as this. He had only heard of them from gossip on the streets of his hometown, or seen them in the dirty, tattered pages of discarded magazines. He was almost lost in the extravagance of the place, until he noticed that the older boy had stopped. He opened the door before him, and entered. The orphan hesitantly followed out of fear and caution.
What he saw next nearly took his breath away. A king-sized bed adorned with satin sheets was in the center of the room. Rich draperies hung from the vast windows and the room was furnished with a solid oak dresser and a large vanity.
"Wow..." was all that he could say.
The older boy once again scoffed at him in scorn, his dark eyes glaring viciously at him. "I don't know what brought my father to bring street trash like you into our house, but don't plan on staying here for very long."
The younger one was taken back by the sudden, harsh words, but he stood his ground. Spending eleven years on the cold, ruthless streets had taught him to always stand his ground when threatened.
"What's your problem?" He inquired crossly.
"You, obviously," Kazuya retorted, venom dripping from his voice. "Don't get too cozy, you motherless bastard. I promise you that you'll be sent back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of. Until then, you'll do whatever I tell you to."
The silver-haired boy stared defiantly at the strange, young Mishima. "Like hell I will."
Kazuya only smirked. "Pity." He then lunged at the boy and pinned him down onto the floor. Lee struggled, trying to writhe himself out of his stepbrother's grip, but to no avail. He had gotten into street fights before, but none of the other orphans were as strong as this boy.
Kazuya raised his fist, his piercing eyes glowering upon his victim. With a devilish grin, he brought his fist down and struck the boy's mouth. Lee felt pain searing through the side of his face, and he could taste the thick, bitter taste of his blood on his tongue. The heir to the Mishima clan lifted his fist once more, this time with the intention of knocking his victim unconscious...
...until he caught something at the corner of his eye. There, standing at the door was Jun, her almond brown eyes wide with confusion. Her thick raven hair failed to hide the look of shock on her youthful face because of that accursed pink bow she always wore. Her tiny hands were clasped around a ceramic flowerpot, from which small green seedlings had popped out of the dark, rich soil that had imprisoned them.
Lee stared in amazement, baffled that the second strike did not come. Instead, he had looked into the direction that his attacker's eyes were focused in, and he too saw the young girl that stood at the entrance of the room.
"...Kazuya-sama..." she spoke, her timid voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing?"
He looked down at the boy he had trapped onto the floor with his weight, and slowly brought his fist down to his side. He released his hold on the collar of Lee's dirty shirt and stood back onto his feet.
"Didn't my father tell you to stay in your room?" he asked in an indifferent tone.
Jun suddenly looked guilty for breaking an elder's wish. She cast her eyes downwards. "I...wanted to show you my plant."
Kazuya looked at the pitiful little plants that began to poke their heads out of the soil. Jun has been watching that flowerpot and tending to its every need. She adjusted its position on her windowsill to make sure it got just the right amount of light, and she was watering it exactly three times a day. She was always looking at it whenever he found her in her room. He knew why, too: it was her only link to her home in Yakushima.
"...is something wrong?" she innocently asked, and Kazuya knew she was referring to the boy with the bloody lip. Without answering her question, he took her by the arm and away from the stranger. He dragged her into his room, and then stared at her solemnly once he knew he was out of range from his father's ears as well as the boy's.
"Jun, don't pay attention to that street trash," he coldly ordered.
"Kazuya-sama, who is he?" she inquired of him, worrying about what she had just witnessed. "...were you hurting him?"
"...no," he lied, the fib eating away at him when he saw the concerned look in her soulful eyes. "I was merely laying down some ground rules."
"...but he was bleeding," she insisted. He suddenly grew irritated by how bothered she was about the injured boy.
"He'll heal." He kneeled down to her height and focused on her with his dark gaze. "Jun, do as I say. Stay away from him."
He made certain that he had said the last words clearly and distinctively, so that the girl could understand. It was bad enough that something had overcome his father to suddenly adopt another child into the family. Kazuya knew Heihachi better than anyone. He suspected that the old man was plotting something that had to do with that silver-haired boy. Whatever it was, Kazuya would not stand by and allow Jun to be involved with it, which was his reason for ordering her to distance herself away from him.
Whether or not the girl could understand why he was being so cruel to a seemingly harmless boy was a different matter. Jun could not comprehend why her guardian would want her to keep away from someone she did not even know. But looking into the graveness of his dark brown eyes was enough assurance, at least for now.
"...okay." She finally answered, not wanting to upset her best, and at the time, only friend.
Kazuya felt a little wave of relief flooding over his anxieties as he gathered his schoolbooks in his knapsack and left for the foyer. Jun followed him, her little steps pattering behind him as they descended the stairs and reached the front door.
"Remember what I said, Jun," he reminded her solemnly and left for school.
"Sayonara, Kazuya-sama!" she cheerfully responded, waving her little hand. Kazuya could not help but smile a little at the cute gesture of sincerity, and he slowly shut the door.
Jun watched through the window as he got into the limousine, and then sped off to school. After the vehicle had left, she went back upstairs to check on her plant. As she was passing the guest room that was next to hers, she heard a soft groan. Curious and worried, she stopped and peeked into the room. Her fears were confirmed when she saw the stranger wiping off the dark blood that had formed at the corner of his mouth. Her heart sank when she had seen him, and she suddenly wished to help him.
She was about to call to him, but then she suddenly remembered Kazuya's wish. Biting her lower lip, she was torn between her conscience and the words of her dearly loved friend. It was quite an awkward situation for a six-year-old girl to be in.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a solution suddenly popped into her head. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, she climbed the kitchen counter and acquired a small ceramic bowl from the upper cabinet. She filled it to the brim with lukewarm water and hurried up to her bathroom upstairs. There, she gathered a small collection of cotton and disinfectant, and carried them to the guest room. Seeing that the boy had his back to her, she gently set down the bowl of water and medicine. She congregated all the courage in herself and knocked on the door. As soon as she saw him turn around, she bolted for the next room, allowing him to only see a slip of raven hair as she fled.
The boy was a bit confused, not sure what or who it was that he had just encountered. He looked down and saw the cotton and the water at the door. Lee approached it, and after staring at the objects, began swabbing his wound with a water-soaked ball of cotton. He then wiped it with a bit of the disinfectant, which had stung a bit. However, after it had dried, he began to feel the pain slowly disappearing.
Lee felt disappointed that the humanitarian that had left him the materials did not even bother to stick around. After the long, tiring trip from China and the sudden exposure to his new life, he was quite exhausted. He was also alone in this beautiful mansion. He had no idea where Heihachi was, and the one who he was to call 'brother' was also the same person who had attacked him. He did not have many people who would come to his aid when he lived on the streets, and he was all right with that. In the past, he knew ever detail about his rundown neighborhood. But now that he had a new life that he was to spend in this grand estate, he felt insecure. He was almost confounded by the sheer size and cleanliness of the mansion. At least on the streets he knew how to navigate his way during those cold, dark nights. But not here...
Suddenly, he remembered that other than the servants, there was one member of this household that he had yet to talk to. He recalled a small girl with a pink bow and denim jumpsuit that he had seen earlier. What had been her name?
...Jun. He was positive that his foster father called her Jun. The name sounded foreign to him, but he thought for some unexplainable reason that it had suited the child.
-Could it be Heihachi's daughter?- he thought to himself as he entered the hallway. -No, that doesn't make sense. He sent her upstairs when he introduced me to Kazuya. He said that it was a family meeting.-
He remembered seeing a fleeing figure with raven hair running from his door, and he concluded that it was the same girl that he had seen. He went to the room next to him and hesitantly knocked on the door.
No answer. He was sure that this was where the girl had gone to. Knocking again, he pressed his ear against the wooden surface to attempt to detect a sound.
Nothing. Figuring that he had nothing better to do and that he was too damn lonely, he gingerly twisted the doorknob and walked into the room. There, sitting near the windowsill next to a budding plant was the young girl. Her head turned around to see her visitor, and upon spotting who he was, her eyes directed themselves back to the scenery outside her window. She tried to pretend that she had seen something interesting to divert her vision away from the silver-haired boy.
"...hi." He softly greeted her. She said nothing and continued to look outside.
A bit confused by her silence, he persisted in his efforts to communicate. "Your name's Jun, right?"
Startled that he had remembered her name, she stared at him with her large almond brown eyes and shyly nodded.
"I'm Lee," he said warmly, approaching her without faltering. She was taken back by his sudden openness and friendliness, but she remained where she was as he stood at her side. "Um...thanks for leaving me all that stuff. It was really nice of you."
"...you're welcome," she timidly replied. "Is your lip all right?"
Lee grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, it's just a little cut. It's getting better, no thanks to that prick..."
The last word was like a blasphemy when it had drifted into her ears, and she suddenly became nervous. She was not entirely sure what the word had meant, but she knew that it was not actually the nicest.
"Please, don't call Kazuya-sama that." She pleaded with the stranger. Lee was surprised by her willingness to swiftly defend the boy.
"...are you his sister or something?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm a guest here. But Kazuya-sama has been like a brother to me. He takes care of me, even though he says I'm a nuisance to him."
He listened to her silently, and found her words to be unbelievable. Lee just could not picture someone as hostile and cruel as Kazuya looking out for a young girl.
"I'm sorry that he hurt you," she continued, "but please don't hate him. He isn't a bad person, he really isn't!"
"All right, all right," Lee calmed her, realizing that the girl was trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry about what I said, okay? Stop crying, already."
Jun was shocked by what he had said, and then realized that felt the warm gumdrop tears running from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, brushing them aside hastily. "Gomen nasai."
Lee shot her a look of bewilderment. "...huh?"
Realizing that he was not fluent in Japanese, Jun immediately looked apologetic. "Oh, I mean I'm sorry!"
Lee stared at her, and then laughter rumbled through his chest. Jun gawked at him with eyes of curiosity, but she was not offended. Something told her that it was lighthearted.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
If you haven't figured it out already, I'm splitting this chapter into two parts because it's so darn long, and I didn't want people to think that I'm abandoning this fic. I just survived midterms, so I need to recollect whatever senses I have left. The next part of this chapter will be the last time that I write Kazuya, Jun, and Lee as children. I'll be putting them in a high school setting, so things are bound to get interesting. Thanks for all the great reviews. You guys are the best!
Chapter Eight, Part One: Sibling Rivalry
He sat on the cold seat of the swing, the long metallic chains dangling from the suspended metal bar. He clutched them as he swayed back and forth, his expensive sneakers covered in thick mud and rocking weakly above a puddle of rainwater that had formed underneath his feet. His head was bowed, the unruly obsidian hair plastered across his forehead from the heavy rain. He did not shudder from the piercing cold of the storm or flinch when the thunder roared through the darkness. He was oblivious to all that was around him. He felt like he was alone in this world enshrouded in shadow, as if he were standing on the edge of the world without anyone at his side. He was alone. Just like he was in the beginning.
He gripped the chains angrily, the past events of the week and of today reeling through his weary head.
"I don't care about either of them," he muttered angrily to himself, gripping the chains tighter. "It's not like I needed her anyway!"
He loathed himself after letting the words slip off his tongue, knowing that what he said was a lie. Regardless, he still wanted to hate her, WANTED to forget all about her. But in truth, he could not. He didn't want her to exist as a memory; she was much too dear to him to be a mere shadow of the past.
No...it was not SHE that he hated. It was him...the boy with the silver hair...
* * * *
"Kazuya-sama!" Jun called to him gently as she shook his shoulder. "It's time to get up."
He pretended not to hear her and buried himself underneath the security of his pillow. "Leave me alone..."
Despite her insecure nature, the younger child kept coaxing him. "Kazuya-sama, please. You'll be late!"
"Then let me be late!" He growled, turning onto his other side so that his back faced her.
She sighed, but she adamantly continued to shake his shoulder. "Come on, Kazuya-sama! Your father sent me up here to get you."
His eyes snapped open as he immediately sat up against his mattress. "...my father?"
Jun nodded. "Hai. He told me to wake you up because he had something he wanted to show you downstairs."
Raising an eyebrow, Kazuya slipped out of his blankets, his desire to return to bed slowly leaving him. "What did you see?"
"I didn't see anything," she truthfully answered. "I heard someone downstairs and I thought it was you because you usually wake up around this time. But I saw Mishima-sama coming inside the house, and then he told me to get you."
Feeling more curious than groggy, Kazuya gave in. "Get out now. I have to change."
Jun did as he told her, closing the door behind her and waiting patiently in the hallway. Kazuya yawned and gathered his school uniform, heading to his private bathroom afterwards. As he brushed his teeth, he wondered to himself why his father had been back so early from his supposed business trip from China. Usually when Heihachi went on a trip, he did not return for a few more weeks. What could have happened to send the old man back to Tokyo so soon?
Well, he'd figure it out once he was finished dressing.
After he was finished, Kazuya left his room to find Jun waiting for him. Side by side, they both bound down the grand staircase to the front foyer. As they descended each step, both children noticed the grim and sober figure of Heihachi Mishima, and a smaller figure of a boy.
Jun and Kazuya saw the child that awaited them at the stairs. His youthful face was hidden by a tangled mass of dirty, silver hair. The boy seemed to take an interest in his worn shoes, since his eyes did not make contact with either the dark prince or his companion. Kazuya nearly sneered at how messy and ragged the stranger's clothes were; he shared the resemblance of one of the many stray dogs that roamed around the streets.
"Kazuya," the deep voice of his father addressed him, "I would like you to meet someone."
Jun followed Kazuya closely behind, only to be stopped by her caretaker. "Jun-chan, go back to your room."
She looked at him in puzzlement, not taking the hint.
"This is a family meeting, my child. You are not to be here."
Jun looked confusingly at Kazuya, who reassured her with the steady gaze of his mahogany eyes. She hesitantly turned back, taking one last look at her guardian, and retreated up the stairs.
When they were alone, Heihachi looked at his son. "Kazuya, we are having a new addition to the family." He then gestured the other boy to take a step forward. "This is Lee Chaolan. He will be living with us from now on as your younger brother."
It took him an instant for the words to process through his head, but it was a while until he was able to understand. Kazuya took another look of contempt at the unkempt boy, not even attempting to hide the glare of hatred in his eyes.
"What is this street trash doing in our house?" He spat, not caring whether or not he would receive a good blow to the face as punishment.
"He is your brother, and you shall treat him as such."
"I will do no such thing. This orphan has no place here."
Heihachi drew nearer to his son, his steely eyes staring fiercely at the younger Mishima. "Are you deaf, boy? I said that he is to be a new member of our family. If you have a problem with that, than perhaps you should consult me about it during our sparring session in the dojo later today."
Kazuya only glared at his father, knowing what was implied in his arrogant voice. He took another glance of contempt at the silver-haired boy, whose eyes were directed towards the polished floors of the foyer. He did not know him, but already Kazuya was absolutely certain that he loathed the sight of him.
"Now, I already have one of the rooms prepared for your brother. It is the one to the left of Jun-chan's room. Take him there."
Kazuya defied his father's wishes by simply standing there.
"Do you not comprehend what I am telling you?" Heihachi spoke, impatience underlining his voice. "I said now."
With a scoff, Kazuya led the way up the stairs, the stranger named 'Lee Chaolan' slowly following him.
He did not turn his head as they walked in unbearable silence, refusing to look at something that was not worthy of stepping a foot into his house. He led him down the long hallway, passing the closed doors and the expensive portraits and furnishings that lavished the walls. The silver- haired boy looked around him in wonder; he felt as if he had died and woke up in a paradise. Never had he seen a mansion such as this. He had only heard of them from gossip on the streets of his hometown, or seen them in the dirty, tattered pages of discarded magazines. He was almost lost in the extravagance of the place, until he noticed that the older boy had stopped. He opened the door before him, and entered. The orphan hesitantly followed out of fear and caution.
What he saw next nearly took his breath away. A king-sized bed adorned with satin sheets was in the center of the room. Rich draperies hung from the vast windows and the room was furnished with a solid oak dresser and a large vanity.
"Wow..." was all that he could say.
The older boy once again scoffed at him in scorn, his dark eyes glaring viciously at him. "I don't know what brought my father to bring street trash like you into our house, but don't plan on staying here for very long."
The younger one was taken back by the sudden, harsh words, but he stood his ground. Spending eleven years on the cold, ruthless streets had taught him to always stand his ground when threatened.
"What's your problem?" He inquired crossly.
"You, obviously," Kazuya retorted, venom dripping from his voice. "Don't get too cozy, you motherless bastard. I promise you that you'll be sent back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of. Until then, you'll do whatever I tell you to."
The silver-haired boy stared defiantly at the strange, young Mishima. "Like hell I will."
Kazuya only smirked. "Pity." He then lunged at the boy and pinned him down onto the floor. Lee struggled, trying to writhe himself out of his stepbrother's grip, but to no avail. He had gotten into street fights before, but none of the other orphans were as strong as this boy.
Kazuya raised his fist, his piercing eyes glowering upon his victim. With a devilish grin, he brought his fist down and struck the boy's mouth. Lee felt pain searing through the side of his face, and he could taste the thick, bitter taste of his blood on his tongue. The heir to the Mishima clan lifted his fist once more, this time with the intention of knocking his victim unconscious...
...until he caught something at the corner of his eye. There, standing at the door was Jun, her almond brown eyes wide with confusion. Her thick raven hair failed to hide the look of shock on her youthful face because of that accursed pink bow she always wore. Her tiny hands were clasped around a ceramic flowerpot, from which small green seedlings had popped out of the dark, rich soil that had imprisoned them.
Lee stared in amazement, baffled that the second strike did not come. Instead, he had looked into the direction that his attacker's eyes were focused in, and he too saw the young girl that stood at the entrance of the room.
"...Kazuya-sama..." she spoke, her timid voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing?"
He looked down at the boy he had trapped onto the floor with his weight, and slowly brought his fist down to his side. He released his hold on the collar of Lee's dirty shirt and stood back onto his feet.
"Didn't my father tell you to stay in your room?" he asked in an indifferent tone.
Jun suddenly looked guilty for breaking an elder's wish. She cast her eyes downwards. "I...wanted to show you my plant."
Kazuya looked at the pitiful little plants that began to poke their heads out of the soil. Jun has been watching that flowerpot and tending to its every need. She adjusted its position on her windowsill to make sure it got just the right amount of light, and she was watering it exactly three times a day. She was always looking at it whenever he found her in her room. He knew why, too: it was her only link to her home in Yakushima.
"...is something wrong?" she innocently asked, and Kazuya knew she was referring to the boy with the bloody lip. Without answering her question, he took her by the arm and away from the stranger. He dragged her into his room, and then stared at her solemnly once he knew he was out of range from his father's ears as well as the boy's.
"Jun, don't pay attention to that street trash," he coldly ordered.
"Kazuya-sama, who is he?" she inquired of him, worrying about what she had just witnessed. "...were you hurting him?"
"...no," he lied, the fib eating away at him when he saw the concerned look in her soulful eyes. "I was merely laying down some ground rules."
"...but he was bleeding," she insisted. He suddenly grew irritated by how bothered she was about the injured boy.
"He'll heal." He kneeled down to her height and focused on her with his dark gaze. "Jun, do as I say. Stay away from him."
He made certain that he had said the last words clearly and distinctively, so that the girl could understand. It was bad enough that something had overcome his father to suddenly adopt another child into the family. Kazuya knew Heihachi better than anyone. He suspected that the old man was plotting something that had to do with that silver-haired boy. Whatever it was, Kazuya would not stand by and allow Jun to be involved with it, which was his reason for ordering her to distance herself away from him.
Whether or not the girl could understand why he was being so cruel to a seemingly harmless boy was a different matter. Jun could not comprehend why her guardian would want her to keep away from someone she did not even know. But looking into the graveness of his dark brown eyes was enough assurance, at least for now.
"...okay." She finally answered, not wanting to upset her best, and at the time, only friend.
Kazuya felt a little wave of relief flooding over his anxieties as he gathered his schoolbooks in his knapsack and left for the foyer. Jun followed him, her little steps pattering behind him as they descended the stairs and reached the front door.
"Remember what I said, Jun," he reminded her solemnly and left for school.
"Sayonara, Kazuya-sama!" she cheerfully responded, waving her little hand. Kazuya could not help but smile a little at the cute gesture of sincerity, and he slowly shut the door.
Jun watched through the window as he got into the limousine, and then sped off to school. After the vehicle had left, she went back upstairs to check on her plant. As she was passing the guest room that was next to hers, she heard a soft groan. Curious and worried, she stopped and peeked into the room. Her fears were confirmed when she saw the stranger wiping off the dark blood that had formed at the corner of his mouth. Her heart sank when she had seen him, and she suddenly wished to help him.
She was about to call to him, but then she suddenly remembered Kazuya's wish. Biting her lower lip, she was torn between her conscience and the words of her dearly loved friend. It was quite an awkward situation for a six-year-old girl to be in.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a solution suddenly popped into her head. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, she climbed the kitchen counter and acquired a small ceramic bowl from the upper cabinet. She filled it to the brim with lukewarm water and hurried up to her bathroom upstairs. There, she gathered a small collection of cotton and disinfectant, and carried them to the guest room. Seeing that the boy had his back to her, she gently set down the bowl of water and medicine. She congregated all the courage in herself and knocked on the door. As soon as she saw him turn around, she bolted for the next room, allowing him to only see a slip of raven hair as she fled.
The boy was a bit confused, not sure what or who it was that he had just encountered. He looked down and saw the cotton and the water at the door. Lee approached it, and after staring at the objects, began swabbing his wound with a water-soaked ball of cotton. He then wiped it with a bit of the disinfectant, which had stung a bit. However, after it had dried, he began to feel the pain slowly disappearing.
Lee felt disappointed that the humanitarian that had left him the materials did not even bother to stick around. After the long, tiring trip from China and the sudden exposure to his new life, he was quite exhausted. He was also alone in this beautiful mansion. He had no idea where Heihachi was, and the one who he was to call 'brother' was also the same person who had attacked him. He did not have many people who would come to his aid when he lived on the streets, and he was all right with that. In the past, he knew ever detail about his rundown neighborhood. But now that he had a new life that he was to spend in this grand estate, he felt insecure. He was almost confounded by the sheer size and cleanliness of the mansion. At least on the streets he knew how to navigate his way during those cold, dark nights. But not here...
Suddenly, he remembered that other than the servants, there was one member of this household that he had yet to talk to. He recalled a small girl with a pink bow and denim jumpsuit that he had seen earlier. What had been her name?
...Jun. He was positive that his foster father called her Jun. The name sounded foreign to him, but he thought for some unexplainable reason that it had suited the child.
-Could it be Heihachi's daughter?- he thought to himself as he entered the hallway. -No, that doesn't make sense. He sent her upstairs when he introduced me to Kazuya. He said that it was a family meeting.-
He remembered seeing a fleeing figure with raven hair running from his door, and he concluded that it was the same girl that he had seen. He went to the room next to him and hesitantly knocked on the door.
No answer. He was sure that this was where the girl had gone to. Knocking again, he pressed his ear against the wooden surface to attempt to detect a sound.
Nothing. Figuring that he had nothing better to do and that he was too damn lonely, he gingerly twisted the doorknob and walked into the room. There, sitting near the windowsill next to a budding plant was the young girl. Her head turned around to see her visitor, and upon spotting who he was, her eyes directed themselves back to the scenery outside her window. She tried to pretend that she had seen something interesting to divert her vision away from the silver-haired boy.
"...hi." He softly greeted her. She said nothing and continued to look outside.
A bit confused by her silence, he persisted in his efforts to communicate. "Your name's Jun, right?"
Startled that he had remembered her name, she stared at him with her large almond brown eyes and shyly nodded.
"I'm Lee," he said warmly, approaching her without faltering. She was taken back by his sudden openness and friendliness, but she remained where she was as he stood at her side. "Um...thanks for leaving me all that stuff. It was really nice of you."
"...you're welcome," she timidly replied. "Is your lip all right?"
Lee grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, it's just a little cut. It's getting better, no thanks to that prick..."
The last word was like a blasphemy when it had drifted into her ears, and she suddenly became nervous. She was not entirely sure what the word had meant, but she knew that it was not actually the nicest.
"Please, don't call Kazuya-sama that." She pleaded with the stranger. Lee was surprised by her willingness to swiftly defend the boy.
"...are you his sister or something?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm a guest here. But Kazuya-sama has been like a brother to me. He takes care of me, even though he says I'm a nuisance to him."
He listened to her silently, and found her words to be unbelievable. Lee just could not picture someone as hostile and cruel as Kazuya looking out for a young girl.
"I'm sorry that he hurt you," she continued, "but please don't hate him. He isn't a bad person, he really isn't!"
"All right, all right," Lee calmed her, realizing that the girl was trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry about what I said, okay? Stop crying, already."
Jun was shocked by what he had said, and then realized that felt the warm gumdrop tears running from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, brushing them aside hastily. "Gomen nasai."
Lee shot her a look of bewilderment. "...huh?"
Realizing that he was not fluent in Japanese, Jun immediately looked apologetic. "Oh, I mean I'm sorry!"
Lee stared at her, and then laughter rumbled through his chest. Jun gawked at him with eyes of curiosity, but she was not offended. Something told her that it was lighthearted.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
If you haven't figured it out already, I'm splitting this chapter into two parts because it's so darn long, and I didn't want people to think that I'm abandoning this fic. I just survived midterms, so I need to recollect whatever senses I have left. The next part of this chapter will be the last time that I write Kazuya, Jun, and Lee as children. I'll be putting them in a high school setting, so things are bound to get interesting. Thanks for all the great reviews. You guys are the best!