TEKKEN 8

Chapter XIV: Let's Get Down to Business [Part II]

Jin Kazama scratched his pen across the signature line of a document he barely skimmed through, adding it to a bin of papers that he will have to work through before the day ends. His hand cramped, wanting to snap the pen in half so he would have an excuse to "find" another writing utensil.

An hour prior to this moment, he sped up the meeting after the whole fiasco with Asuka and Lili, deciding that it was the team's best interest to lay the foundation of this project before the clock struck noon. He mentally took notes of what the squadron, minus the two girls, came to an agreement on.

Lars, Alisa, the ladies man, and Josie planned to select fifty soldiers who willingly support their cause to help the group aid war victims establish better lives for themselves. Occupied with the task now, they wished to make haste with their objective. Having no qualms with his half-uncle's need for efficiency, Jin checked the group of four off his list.

Meanwhile with the ones on the short end of the stick, Leo made her way to her assigned room (which was not hard to find, as each door had a recruit's name engraved on it), mentally and physically preparing herself for the hell--referred to as 'strict training'--that was yet to come. As for Hwoarang...To say the least, he was handling problems that shouldn't be revealed to the purest of minds. Was his boss aware? No. Did Jin want to know of that? Hell no. Moving on.

Xiaoyu scurried back to her post upon dismissal, greeted with shouts and profanities from the bustling people. Plastering on a Nobel prize-winning fake smile, it took every ounce of her will not to poise her pen and stab a bastard in the eye. It was amusing to watch her hands twitch so violently as it did through the security camera.

As he realized he had no idea what the female rivals were up to, considering that they had never returned back to the conference room, he heard a firm knock on the door. Giving no thought whatsoever, he assumed it was the Gang Mediator. Hmph, speak of one of the devils and she shall come.

The person opened the door without his permission, giving him the indication that it was in fact Asuka Kazama. He was right, to which he smirked behind his bland exterior. Uncharacteristically, she seemed off, her head bowed and shoulders slumped as she dragged her feet towards his desk.

"What is it, Asuka?" Jin clickled his pen and laid it down, waiting for his relative to answer.

"It's about Lili." She was fiddle-footed, kicking an invisible rock.

"Ask Hwoarang." He sighed in a sense of irritation, relunctant to pick up were he left off on the documents.

"I tried, but--"

"But what?"

"I heard weird noises coming from his room." His confusion from her words turned into revulsion when catching sight of the growing heat on her cheeks.

Tossing his pen on the desk while rising to his full height, he silently walked past her, allowing himself to lead the way to her room. Down the hall, up one flight of stairs, last door on the right, and there they are. "Asuka Kazama and Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort", the names were scribed in the bearers' own style. Bold letters for the brunette and the fanciest of cursive letters for the blonde, as one could guess already.

The man would've knocked if he hadn't remembered that he possessed all the keys to each room in the Zaibatsu, all on one access card. Scanning the card once, using his back to block the nosy Asuka's view, he opened the door.