TEKKEN 8

Chapter VIII: Surprise, Birthday Girl!

Rochefort Mansion, 11:19PM

Master Baek, please help me. I'll do two thousand pushups every morning if you do.

To say the Blood Talon was 'afraid' would be considered an understatement. As much as he desired to conceal it, he was sweating buckets. He had no clue as to why such terror was struck into him (the feeling more recent in the past couple of days, to his chargin). Then the man began to register in his mind who he was up against. This was Asuka Kazama and Lili Rochefort, two formidable fighters in the King of Iron Fist Tournament who could either give him a good challenge, or floor him.

However, there was not a single bone in his body that wanted to fight them in these circumstances. He preferred to spar with the women, where all's well that ends well. Hwoarang could not say the same for Asuka and Lili. He felt if he made eye contact with either one of them, he would become a stone replica of himself.

Meanwhile, Jin only sat on his ass while his partner in crime suffered under pressure by the rivals' merciless glares. What a helpful person. Seriously, he might as well just evaporate into thin air and leave me here to die.

"Are you gonna answer the questions or will you just continue to look stupid?" Asuka asked impatiently. If anything, she was more so puzzled by the red head's intentions than upset, but she allowed her anger to take control. The Gang Mediator, in addition to maintaining the peace in the Osakan streets, had a reputation of getting the answers she wanted to hear in record time. Since the man wouldn't spit his reasoning out, he was now a single hair strand away from receiving a beating until he provided one.

"Well, you know how the word spreads fast in Tokyo." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his answer sounding much better in his head than out loud.

It wasn't a good excuse, seeing that the women did not buy it. "If that's the case, then who told you about my party?" Lili inquired, gesturing to the wave of rich individuals infecting the ballroom with their grandiose air. "I had no idea that you were acquainted with the wealthy middle-aged, Hwoarang."

At this, the male Kazama chuckled under his breath, low enough for no ears to hear. At least, that's what he believed. By some inconvenient miracle, his cousin's ears managed to pick up the sound.

"What are you laughing at? Who the hell are you, anyway?" Asuka faced him, making his smirk fade instantly, as if it wasn't there before.

"He's my friend--" Hwoarang quickly answered for his boss, but Asuka interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"I didn't ask you." The brunette said over her shoulder, silencing him immediately.

The blonde approached the sitting man, less cautious than before.

"Wait a minute." Lili seized Jin's calloused hand without warning for the second time that night, spreading out his hand with her own. Using her finger, she outlined the hardened skin of his palm, her face pensive. He watched her strange movements, forced to be passive of her invasion of his personal space once again.

Asuka, Hwoarang, and the owner of the probed hand studied Lili, who closed his hand into a tight fist. When she ran her fingers over his rough knuckles, he wrenched his hand away from her. He glared at the eighteen-year-old behind his mask, finally recognizing what she was trying to do.