The Edge Of Darkness

Dōseiaisha

Suggested listening: Avril Lavigne - Things I'll Never Say

Jin stood lingering on the kitchen counter, sipping his tea, looking at Hwoarang walking back and forth in the living room, scratching his head and mumbling stuff he couldn't understand from there. Eun-Jung was sleeping upstairs, and this cartoon-like little scene had been going on for five minutes at least. Jin was quite amused and was giggling while drinking.

-Are you dead set on putting a hole in the floor where you're walking? I like it the way it is, truth be told, Hwoarang.

The Korean grunted, dismissing Jin and his remark. He was pensive and anxious about something, he could easily tell, but the last weeks had been easy and pleasant, he couldn't see why being so upset. He tilted his head and looked at him.

-Love, please, can you stop? Talk to me.

-Fine. That's exactly why I'm distressed.

-What have I done? I'm immobile, drinking my tea.- he laughed.

Hwoarang said nothing, again, then knelt in front of Jin, showing him a little black box in his hands. Jin laughed again, scoffing, and looked at the floor.

-This is not funny, Hwoarang.

-I'm not being funny, Jin. Never been more serious in my life.

-Have you... forgotten which country we live in? There's no such thing as same sex marriage in Japan.

-I know. But if you get married elsewhere, you can get key certificates here for a partnership system which at least allows us, say, to visit each other in a hospital if need be. And you know our lives, it's bound to happen someday. You are nothing to me for the state, and I am nothing to you, and I want that to change. And we'd be married in the rest of the world, where the rights exist, at least.

-And what do you have there, a diamond ring?- Jin had clearly been taken by surprise and sarcasm and laughter was his shield response.

-No, something better.

Hwoarang opened the little box. Inside, there was a simple dog tag necklace with a black cord; the dog tag had a Korean inscription on it that Jin couldn't understand.

-What's written on it?

-Eun-Jung. And behind it, "Family". Jin, marry me. Make me the proudest man on Earth.

There was a moment of silence, too long for Hwoarang's liking, then the Japanese regained his breath and remembered how to talk.

-I... I mean... yes?

Hwoarang screamed out loud and kissed Jin holding his face in his hands passionately.

-I love you. I love you so fucking much, Jin Kazama.

-I love you too. You're crazy. I like crazy. The fuck are we doing?

-Something for us, finally. And, there's something else.- he smirked.

-I know that face. What could you possibly add to marrying me?

-If you want to, you'll adopt Eun-Jung. In a foreign country, after we get married. When we get back to Japan, we'll put in our request for co-parenting.

-But they'll surely deny it!

-I did my research. There's been a successful case in 2017, in Osaka. We'll use that as a precedent. You have the best lawyers in all of Japan, right? Time to put them to good use.

-You're even crazier than I thought. But... I like the idea. Hell, I love it. I'd be the rightful father of Eun-Jung. It would be amazing. And it would ensure that whatever happened to me, she would always have the Mishima Zaibatsu company.

-...but nothing will happen to you, Jin.

-I was only making a point. Hwoarang... where do you want to get married?

-I haven't thought about it. It's something best decided together, don't you think?

Jin smiled. -Together.

//

The day after, the Japanese went to the Mishima Zaibatsu for his business as usual... or so he thought. While he was in his office, reading some boring bureaucratic papers, he got a call from Doctor Bosconovitch.

-Good afternoon, Mr. Kazama.

-What do you want?

-I wanted to show you something in Lab 3, Sir.

-I am quite busy. Can this wait?

-I think not.

After the 'I-kept-the-Devil-gene-essence-oops' incident, Jin was less than prone to talk with Bosconovitch, even less happy to see him. But he was also curious to know what he had come up with this time, that crazy Russian head. He went down to Lab 3, getting chills passing by Lab 1 where he got the treatments which actually killed him. The laboratory was as cold as the doctor's feelings and as soon as he arrived, Jin couldn't wait to get out of that place.

-Mr. Kazama, please, come here.

He reluctantly went near the doctor, who was standing in front of a cage where a rat was slowly eating some carrot.

-This, Mr. Kazama, this is your future.

-A... rat?

-No, Mr. Kazama. A Devil Gene injected rat.

-What?! I thought you gave everything you had to Hwoarang when he resuscitated me at the hospital.

-Incorrect. I gave him the exact amount he would need to wake you up from your death. I kept the rest for my experiments. I sacrificed a good number of specimens before getting this perfectly balanced results. The others were either too weak, or too unstable, giving in to the Devil Gene every so often that it eventually took over completely.

-And this regards me how?

-I know exactly how much Devil Gene to give you back to regain your full strength and stamina, but without it taking control of you, not today, not ever. I have prepared the amount if you'd like to do it now, Mr. Kazama.

-I went through unspeakable pain to get rid of it; I died trying to expel it completely. And now, you want to reinject it in my body?

-You already have it in your body. Your tattoo shows it, and you know it. And you also know you've been weaker since the treatments. Less resistant. Less strength, less stamina. You're a fighter, Mr. Kazama. Do you really want to renounce the chance to return to your rightful force?

-Yes, because it's not me, it's that monstrosity giving me the power. I'm satisfied where I am. But thanks for asking... Bosconovitch.

Jin turned his back to him, walking out of Lab 3, with much less determination in his heart than the one he showed the doctor.