Afterwards: The Fourth Tekken Novel

Buffet Convincing

Breakfast no longer felt awkward, and everyone had gotten used to Heihachi's lack of moustache at this point. Though he did promise to grow it back as soon as he can...
Steve was carefully telling Shasha about the talks they had last night, all during their brief encounter at the buffet table since he didn't want his parents to find out about it.
"And why do I have to go?" Shasha asked, aggressively slamming five chicken nuggets onto her plate. "Like, why did you just volunteer me in without asking first?"
"Tell him, Shasha, he did it to me too!" Hwoarang complaining, placing an even bigger amount of nuggets onto his plate. "Just say our names and volunteer us in without even asking first."
"Look, I'm sorry about this, okay?" Steve sighed, grabbing a cinnamon roll for himself with a pair of tongs. "But he seemed like he really needed help."
Shasha looked at the tongs he handed to her and sighed before taking it. "What if I were to fly right back to Malaysia as soon as we go back to Tokyo?"
Hwoarang frowned, taking the tongs after her. "You think that would work? If it does, I'm going back to Korea as soon as I hit Tokyo too."
Steve groaned, setting his plate down when they arrived at the soup section. "Guys, please. First, I had to serenade him, then I had to share a room with him, and now this?"
"Hold up," Hwoarang grabbed Steve's shoulder in surprise. "You had to serenade him?! Whatever for? Are you ex-lovers or something?" He grinned.
Steve wriggled out of his grasp and grabbed a bowl. "It's not funny." He was red in the face too. "I did it on a dare."
"Poor Steve," Shasha chuckled, carefully balancing a bowl onto her crowded plate. "Nina and gang decided it was a good idea to play Truth or Dare, and Steve chose Dare since Adam had to reveal an embarrassing secret to his parents by choosing Truth. But then choosing Dare turned out to be worse..."
Hwoarang snorted, waiting for the blond to finish filling his bowl with corn soup. "Oh, my gosh. Remind me to never play Truth or Dare with Heihachi. That sounds embarrassing."
"It is," Steve nodded ruefully, placing the ladle back into the large canister before stepping away. "It was so bad..."
Shasha stepped forward and contemplated on the three soup choices given. "Corn, pumpkin or... miso?"
"Up to you," Hwoarang said. "I'm kinda waiting here."
Shasha rolled her eyes and settled for corn soup. "So, you made the decision for us instead."
"Again, I'm sorry, but you guys seemed like our only hope," Steve sighed. "Jin suggested sending Alisa with Lars instead, but that seemed like a bad idea since she's so easily distracted, and he would be just as distracted if he was with her."
"Why don't they just send him alone, then?" Hwoarang suggested with a frown, going over to the large pot of pumpkin soup beside Shasha. "Like, wouldn't that be a lot easier. Kazama can give him a pass or something, hide the fact that he's out from your parents, and everything should be fine."
Steve sighed. "For some reason, Lars doesn't seem like he wants to take on this. Maybe because of the fact that whoever goes shopping has to do it with Heihachi as well."
The two of them immediately made disgusted noises.
"Yerr," Shasha groaned. "Not enough must go shopping, must go with him some more ah? What you think, we all besties, is it?"
"I agree with her," Hwoarang nodded. "I'm still not used to hanging around with him."
"And you think I am?" Steve exclaimed.
Shasha placed the ladle back in the pot and turned to him, a slight smirk on her face. "Well, you were roomies with him."
Steve groaned. "Come on. It's bad enough he had to witness one of those night terrors. I don't even know what I did. Did I scream? Did I cry in my sleep? Did I strangle him? Did or did I straight up throw myself off the bed? I'm not sure."
"Dude, I'm pretty sure you would've woken up if it was any of those," Hwoarang sighed.
"Didn't he tell you that you were merely just holding onto your arm while crying in pain?" Shasha sighed. "Because that's what I heard."
Steve flushed. "He told you that?"
Shasha immediately shook her head. "No, he didn't. I overheard it."
"Dude, he told everyone, remember? At that rock that Kazuya was sulking on?" Hwoarang reminded, lifting his plate and following them over to the drinks section. "How come you don't remember, Blondie? I thought you owned it at this point?"
"I do own it, but I guess I didn't remember since there was too much going on," Steve sulkily said.
Shasha sighed. "Please don't think too much about that. It's in the past. None of that was your fault."
Hwoarang put his free arm around Steve and brought him towards the hot beverage section. "She's right. You went through some messed up things. It's only normal that you relive them in your sleep sometimes." He frowned. "I remember when Master Baek would come running to my room in the middle of the night to wake me. He never told me why he did that, but I knew it was because I sometimes have nightmares."
"Of what?" Steve asked, turning to him.
"I don't know," Hwoarang shrugged. "Whatever it was, it doesn't bother me when I'm awake, only sometimes in the nights, when I'm stressed and things. Plus, I have no recollection of anything that happened in it."
Shasha nodded. "It's like talking or laughing in your sleep, you don't remember any of that when you wake up, but it happens. The same goes for crying as well."
"It's normal, dude," Hwoarang let him go and grabbed a cup, handing it to him. "Here, take some coffee or tea or milk or whatever that you fancy."
Steve smirked as he took the cup from him, realising something. "Since when you're such a caring person?"
Hwoarang sighed and took a cup for himself. "And he's back."
"So, no cup for me, then?" Shasha pursed her lips as she took a cup for herself. "I have to take myself."
The two of them started laughing, much to her amusement.
"Do you guys agree to go with Heihachi?" Steve asked. "Because you're kinda our only hope in this."
The two of them turned to look at each other, then shrugged before turning back to Steve.
"Fine, fine," Shasha sighed. "I'll go shopping with him." She grinned. "But you owe me."
"And me," Hwoarang added.
"You're already getting a five-star hotel high-tea from Heihachi for changing rooms with him, what else do you want?" Steve rolled his eyes.
"Spa," Hwoarang smirked. "You left me out of it, remember? Then had the nerve to rub it in my face."
Shasha nodded vigorously, pointing at him in agreement. "I agree. He did that to me too."
Steve sighed. "Fine, I'll take you later." He turned to Shasha. "What about you? You want to come too?"
Shasha shook her head with a smirk. "Nope. I want high-tea. We can hang out together too, wasn't that what you were planning?"
Steve smirked back. "Sure. That sounds nice."
And the deals were made, all while loading their plates with breakfast items.