Part 3     Part 2 - Part 4

Ling was dressed in a short navy blue skirt and white blouse with her schoolgirl shoes and signature pigtails. She looked nice. "Planning on meeting someone, hmm?" Kechara asked slyly.

The Chinese girl blushed a deep red but said, "No, it's just that alot of people are going to be at the cafeteria and I want to look half-way decent. You have a problem with that?"

Just then, Jin walked out, shirtless and his face still wet. He saw Ling and stopped. "Oops, I don't think I was supposed to come out yet," he sputtered.

Ling stared, mouth open, back and forth between Kechara and Jin. Then she got that smirk on her face and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "And what were you two doing? I think I came at a bad time. I can always leave and come back later if you want to continue..." she said naughtily.

"It's none of your business what we were doing," Jin said gruffly. He turned and went back to the bathroom.

Kechara sensed Ling would take that the wrong way so said, "No, no, it's not like that, you sicko. He just needed to deliver the match schedule to me." She glared at Ling.

Ling raised an eyebrow. "Delivers a schedule and ends up all wet. How is that happening..."

"I'll tell you later." Kechara dashed back to the bathroom and told Jin she was leaving. He pulled his shirt on and buttoned it up.

"I'll be leaving then," he said, finishing with the buttons. He took hold of her shoulders. "Thank you so much Kechara. I needed someone to talk to." He smiled and let her go. "The matches start the day after tomorrow. If you want, you can come up to the little spot where I sit and watch them with me." He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Best seats, you know. Think about it and I'll call you that morning." When she gave him a peculiar look, he said, "Just because I'm the ultimate CEO man doesn't mean that I can't do normal things and have a personal life. It just gets a little difficult once in a while."

She nodded, seeing how that could be, then walked out to the living room. Avoiding Ling's suspicious stare, Kechara showed Jin out. She was surprised when he kissed her on the cheek, then again promised to call her. She watched him walk towards the Zaibatsu's main building and eventually disappear. Then she shut the door and fell back onto the wall, blowing her bangs out her face.

"Ahem." Ling stood, arms crossed and foot tapping. "So, uh, what really happened?" she demanded.

Kechara walked over and hooked pinky fingers with her. "Swear you'll never tell what I'm about to," she gritted, looking Ling straight in the eye.

"Swear," Ling agreed simply and they broke pinkies. They sat down on the couch.

"I don't think Jin wats many people to know about this, so if you break the swear, I'll never speak to you again, just as he probably wouldn't to me," Kechara said.

"Okay! I swore, didn't I?" Ling replied impatiently.

"Okay." Kechara took a deep breath then told her friend all about Jin's breakdown. She left out his specific problems and the many hugs but told about the tears and how troubled Jin was.

Ling had been expecting something else but stayed with what she had heard. "Yes, poor Kazama-san, I can't imagine going through all that. I wouldn't be able to take it." She snorted, "Especially with a grandfather like Heihachi."

Kechara sniffed. "I feel like he's trying to get me to do something, to help him. I really, really want to but I have no idea how." She sighed, frustrated.

Ling patted her on the shoulder. "You gave him an ear," she said gently. "He needed someone to spill to. He's had all of that bottled up inside him for years." She arched an eyebrow. "Girl, you must be special or something if he does that the first time he ever meets you. Jin is an extremely good judge of people. He knows who he can trust, who hates him, and who is just using him. He knew Heihachi was just using him for the Tonshin but he did not want to go against his mother's wishes. He must see something really good inside of you because he's not the most openly emotional person I know!"

Ling was interrupted by the growling of her stomach. She looked at Kechara and said, "I'm really hungry now! You look like crap though, so I'll give you some time to go get a shower and get ready." She waved her off. "Hurry up, go!"

Kechara went. She ran to her orange painted bathroom and took a quick shower. She dried herself off with an electric blue towel and did a quick hair-dryer job. She threw on a pair of khackis and a blue dragin shirt, and adjusted a black choker around her neck as she went out to meet Ling. Pulling on some tan sneakers, she and her friend with the singing stomach headed off toward the dining hall.

They ordered different foods, a varied pasta plate for Kechara and Peking duck with steamed duplings for Ling. "Their Chinese food isn't the best, but what can you do," Ling explained.

As the Chinese girl had said, there were alot of people there, including one Forest Law. Ling took time before her duck came to go talk to him, wishing him the best of luck in the match, asking how his father was, little chatty things like that. Kechara shook her head. Forest was almost ten years older than Ling. What she saw in him, Kechara must have been blind to, for he didn't strike her as that interesting a person. Yet Ling seemed to be a bit smitten by him so Kechara let her be.

Kechara also spotted Griffin sitting nearby, and though she wanted to talk to him, she didn't know what to say, so contented herself by watching him. She caught him throwing a few glances her way but instantly averting his eyes when he saw her looking at him. She was startled when he threw his hands up and walked over to her.

"Hi," he said, leaning over the table.

"Hi," she returned, smiling as sweetly as she could.

That must have caught him offguard because he froze for a moment before continuing. "So who are you matched up against on Thursday?"

"Hwoarang," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What, don't you like him?" He grinned teasingly.

"No, I've never met a bigger jackass in my life," she replied.

He flinched, still smiling. "Ooo, harsh words. Maybe he deserves it." His face turned serious again. "I'm up against Julia Chang. I'm probably gonna get my butt whupped, huh?"

Kechara wasn't too fond of the idea of the overly nice Indian girl getting skin-close with Griffin but didn't let it show. "Good luck, dude," was all she could say, for the waiter had arrived with her and Ling's food. They bid each other adieu and she beckoned to her friend. Ling reluctantly left her conversation but eagerly dug into her duck. Then they girl-talked.

By the time they had finished, the place was almost empty. Ling yawned and threw down the spoon from the fudge sundae she had been eating. Kechara glanced at the clock and was shocked that it read almost 11. The evening had seemed so fast.

Ling stood and stretched. "Okay, American girl, you had a nap today but I didn't so I'm tired. Let's go." And they left the hall to the janitors.

When they reached rooms 16 and 17, Ling unlocked her door and, telling Kechara good night, disappeared into the depths of her apartment.

Kechara disappeared into her own and changed into her shorts and a tank top she used as pajamas. She was surprised that she was still tired, even though she couldn't fall asleep right away. She crawled into her bed, which she discovered had black silk sheets, and thought about her day until she fell into a troubled sleep.
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The next day was pretty boring. She and Ling just walked around and explored. She saw Griffin more than once and exchanged smiles with him every time. Ling jumped off to talk to Forest for a bit so Kechara distracted herself by talking to Anna Williams, until Ling managed to tear herself away from her "beloved", as she called him. Kechara laughed alot that day.
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Then came Thursday, the first day of fighting. Kechara awoke to the phone ringing and remembered Jin's offer.

They small-talked a bit then decided on meeting at a small outlook to the ocean.

Kechara took a shower and got dressed into a pair of jeans and a green camoflauge tank top, and hastily put on a pair of sandals as she ran out to meet Kazama-san. She took a quick glance at the match schedule and found her fight assigned at the grassy landing at 5:00 PM. Then she ran to the meeting place and she and Jin walked to the first battlefield.

The first match-up was at the fighting arena between Yoshimitsu and Nina Williams. Kechara followed Jin up to a little "reserved for VIP's" box right next to the ring. She recognized the old man in the suit already sitting there and shook hands with him. "I hope you enjoy the show," he said graciously as she took a place next to Jin. She nodded courteously and waited for the fight to begin.

It did so with flare, the cyber ninja Yoshimitsu entering to the sound of the announcer's voice with a backflip, then getting into a fighting stance. His metal body armor shone in the lighting and and his sword glowed a bright green. Nina Williams entered with her famous walk and throat-slash motion. Kechara could hear Nina's stilletto heels tap against the floor, even through all the noise the crowd made. Nina entered he fighting stance, and the annoucer called, "FIGHT!"

Yoshimitsu immediately started off with a mid spinning slap combo. Nina successfully blocked every hit of it and retaliated with a Geyser Cannon Combo. Yoshi was caught and lauched into the air, and Nina followed up with a 6-hit juggle combo. Yoshi got up and immediately went into Flea Stance. Nina had started a low combo and was tagged by Yoshimitsu.s sword. Kechara heard her loud groan of pain but saw the Irish assassin get up quickly. She was unfortunately caught by a well-timed Kangaroo Kick from the cyber ninja and was thrown high into the sky. Yoshi came under her falling form and performed his Yoshi Flash, singing Nina's blond hair. She was losing and knew it, but was nowhere near giving up. She ran towards the ninja and caught him her a multi-part throw. Kechara winced as she heard bones cracking. Nina threw her opponent to the floor and did a Forward Flip Kick. Yoshi was hit but still got up, hand clenched around his prized sword. He resorted to a simple Front Spin Kick.

Nina had become too confident and was caught unaware by the Kick. She was hit in the jaw and sent spinning to the ground. Despite his arm injuries, Yoshi hit her with a Sword Swipe. He was just about to enter Flea Stance when Nina suddenly unleashed her ultimate: the Power Blonde Bomb.

The ninja was sent flying and did not get up when he came to rest upon the ground at the far side of the arena.

"Nina Williams wins!" the announcer yelled, and cheers and boos erupted from the stands. The paramedics were called in for the space ninja but before they could arrive, a figure with a cat mask raced out to Yoshi's side.

Kechara gasped. Kunimitsu! Yoshimitsu's former rival for the Manji Clan leadership. Kechara and many other people watched wide-eyed as Kuni snatched the sword from Yoshi's hand and stabbed him with it. She then held it high, blood dripping from the blade. And before anyone could do anything, Kuni dashed off, sword and all.