Evelyn: Yes, Nina doesn't get much casual outfits in her customizations. Before, I discussed this with fellow Nina fans and other Tekken fans who unanimously agreed that she could do with love in the fashion department otherwise it just looks like she rolled out of a tacky costume shop. She used to be so classy before. (T2/T3/TTT) Once Harada took over, he got rid of her swag.

Heard that some Nina fans really pushed for her sleek BV outfit to be included in T7 which was the right call. Tbh they should have included her BV halterneck top and leather pants too in her customisation. Nina really needs more love in both her outfit department and in the story. (She got a blast in the face halfway through Tekken 7 main story and got kicked out. It was so disrespectful) Fanartists give Nina better outfits lol. Nohmasked designed some really lovely Nina outfits which I love. I wish some talented manga artist selects Nina and designs some royal outfits for her. Maybe in T8? I dunno.

Thanks for the review!

Guest: Thanks! For now PP is on the backburner. I want to continue it too. I have some ideas but right now there's enough on my plate. Thank you for your kind words and for reading and reviewing.


Chapter Twelve


.

.

.

Nina agreed to meet Jin but she didn't seem too pleased to hear his voice. He wondered what was going on and felt a little nervous meeting her in the city centre. After his phone got its power back, there was some missed calls and a text from Nina. She was in the café at the same time as him and yet didn't make her presence known.

He should have known better than the perfume smell wasn't in his imagination. He didn't think Nina would want to spend time with him after what he told her. He was a danger.

The clouds were grey and he knew it was going to rain badly after the recent heatwave yet he still came out for Nina. Jin finds her at a bar that was open in the daylight hours. She was wearing a striped jumpsuit. He didn't know what her deal was but felt the dejectedness radiating from her as she sat by the counter. Surrounded by three men who were trying to chat her up.

"C'mon sexy, we brought you six rounds. We're in the mood for some gangbang!"

The men who were ogling Nina were middle-aged, hairy and dirty. They were buying drinks for her, trying to get her to show interest in them. Concealing his disgust under a smug smirk, Jin smoothly slides next to Nina.

Deciding to be a troll, he growls at them not unlike a longtime lover of Nina's.

"She's not in your league, she's in mine. Get lost!"

They must have found his presence intimidating as they avert their lewd gazes and hurry off. Cowards.

"What is the meaning of this Ka-," Nina holds her tongue back, remembering Jin was using a fake name like she was. "Nagasawa." She adds, feeling so odd on using a false name for him. She had to think of some other nickname for him.

The blonde wasn't pissed Jin chased off those pushy men, even though she could take care of herself. She was going to give these creeps a wrong number. However, the way Jin got rid of them was downright funny. It was also….surprising. She hates that she smirked a little. Not to make it so obvious, she didn't lift up a hand to conceal her lips from Jin.

The fact that she didn't use his real name in public pleases Jin greatly as did the quick smirk which was replaced with her glaring. At him.

"You're a crazy woman for accepting their drinks like that. Giving false hope?" He clicks his tongue, shaking his head a little in disproval.

"Well it costs for people to look at me. It's not free." Nina drawls. "I-..,"

She halts her tongue, recalling those words of hers. It sounded like she was a prostitute. Nina grimaces. What would Jin think of her? She was about to clarify herself to him but he speaks again.

"I guess I should empty my wallet for you then."

Oh.

Nina tilts her head to the side, rests her cheek on her palm.

"You like looking at me, darling?" She asks seductively, capturing his gaze.

That tone…it made him so nervous. Nina had this weird effect on him that tempted him to just grab her mid conversation and kiss the hell out of her at times but they were friends. They are not a couple and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He still didn't quite understand this strange feelings he had for the blonde just yet.

Nina noticed him lost in his thoughts. It might piss off others but she found it intriguing to know what was swimming in his thoughts. Usual men did less thinking but Jin? It was obvious he had a rich inner world which drew her in. What exactly went on in that pretty boy's head? She leans over and clicks her finger infront of his face. It snaps him out of his stupor.

"Look, are you done thinking? I am almost finished here." Nina quips, taking a final sip of her drink or whatever was left of it.

"I haven't ordered my drink yet." Jin points out, alarmed that Nina wouldn't want to drink with him. What was her problem? It was so rude.

Upon seeing his sour face, Nina silently berates herself for being a spoilsport. But it was best to keep a distance from him so it wouldn't feel awkward. It was proving to be much more difficult than she anticipated. He hadn't ordered his drink yet and she was feeling a little bad for her attitude.

"You're a crazy man for overthinking then. Wasted our time." Nina teases.

"I'm not a timewaster." He argues back. "You just don't have any patience."

Nina presses her lips together. "Fine, one drink."

"And a conversation." Jin adds.

She feigns annoyance.

"You can't be serious."

"I am."

So Jin orderes a drink and they went to find a quiet spot somewhere as Jin wanted to talk and he didn't like prying ears. She didn't either but she didn't say so. A song was playing and to her surprise, Jin was intently listening to the lyrics as he drank. It was a pop song that she heard here and there in the stores usually.

"Is that romantic? Hearing someone tell you that you deserve nothing but all the finer things and I got enough money in the bank for the two of us." Jin asks her.

Nina leans forward over the table.

"You'd be surprised how romantic many girls find those words."

"You included?"

Nina shrugs. "I wouldn't want to stop earning my own money. That's my ideal future."

A little gift here and there sometimes would be nice but too much would defeat the purpose of gifts for her. She heard stories of some of her fellow female classmates having sugar daddies and getting expensive gifts everyday. Nina didn't not find that appealing at all. To give up her dignity for gifts.

Financially depending on someone else and never being independent was another nightmare for her. A worse one.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want to be spoiled? At least by the person you are with?"

Nina let out a sardonic chuckle. "I do suppose I wouldn't mind someone to support my shoe-," She pauses and corrects herself, "….My bike fetish from time to time."

She sounds sarcastic. Not sure what to say in response to what, Jin settles for finishing his drink and thinking of another topic. She had a bike fetish and so did he. Jin loved bikes. He began riding bikes a couple of years ago. His initial plan was to have a special modified bike just for himself, the best high end model that would be the talk of the town. But now that was a distant dream.

If Jin asked what her perfect gift would be apart from material goods, Nina would have answered him. The blonde yearned to travel to different cities and maybe have someone to explore it with. Seeing a city with fresh eyes with someone she was close with sounded like a wonderful idea. She looks at Jin and smiles. Ah, she was getting carried away with wistful ideas.

Once seeing her smile, Jin decided to take the conversation to the most important point. It was time.

"It's my birthday in a few days." He reveals, knowing he once told her before.

Ah, so that's what Jin really wanted to talk about. Lucky for him, she did have a couple of gifts for him but acting like she didn't care seems like a better idea. It would make his surprise all the more sweeter when she actually gifted him. Nina put a lot of thought into it as well and wanted Jin to receive the maximum joy when he got those gifts. That was her original plan and she was going to stick with it.

The blonde shrugs. "Julia said she invited you to our place on that day."

"She did. But aren't you going to gift me?" He asks, huskily.

"I'm going to be there. That's a gift enough for you." Nina says coyly. "My time is valuable."

Jin shakes his head and smirks. "Are you sure you don't have a surprise for me up your sleeve?"

"Baby, the only thing I have up my sleeve is my arm."

Baby? She never called him that before. What did she mean? In a mocking way or was it a term of endearment? Nina grins at seeing him being flustered, she then discreetly observed the area to see if there was any stalkers watching them. Nothing seemed suspicious.

"I got your text." Jin says and she once again gives him her attention. "That meant that you were in the café the same time as me. Why didn't you come up and say hi?"

"You were with someone." She says with a deadpan expression.

"I was with a fellow student. Her father teaches me Karate. My phone had no battery that day and she let me used her charger. In return, she asked that I dine with her." He explains sincerely, confused why Nina ignored him.

Oh.

Feeling stupid now that she had jumped to an inaccurate conclusion, Nina breaths out a sigh of relief. She didn't understand why she felt jealous in the first place. It was an unpleasant sensation that she never wanted to experience again.

"You're right, I should have made my presence known. I'm…sorry."

It felt like she never apologised for anything and the fact that she just did came across a big thing both to Jin and herself.

He didn't understand her actions back then but silently berated himself for not trusting his senses when he thought he caught a whiff of her perfume.

"I finally mastered the kata." Jin reveals, his eyes beaming with some joy. It warms her heart to see some joy in his eyes and her lips curve into a smile. "I am making a lot of progress."

"Congratulations." Nina replies. "I guess that means we can have ourselves another sparring session. I've been wanting another one with you."

"You have?"

She nods. "Our last fight wasn't fair."

"It'll be a little difficult. We're friends now." He points out cautiously.

"Which is why we can spar together." She winks at him, again catching him off guard.

Jin may have some reservations but his heart thumps at the idea of sparring with her. He saw how she fought and it was utterly enchanting. He hadn't been so excited in his life before even though he worked hard to act uninterested.

"You finished now, baby?" Nina asks, gesturing towards his empty glass.

That 'baby' word again takes Jin by surprise.

"You have somewhere to be?"

"We have somewhere to be. Don't you think we should stick our fingers up to the potential assholes stalking us?" She responds.

His brown eyes light up.


.


One they were done with the bar, they went to the bowling alley and then to the cinema. It was something Nina hadn't ever done in her life so she didn't get any déjà vu from those activities. Jin on the other hand went to such places during his school days with his friends. He quietly observes the blonde during their time together and noted that her eyes were smiling. He couldn't stop smirking after the blonde challenged him to bowling and he won. Time after time. He figured the ball was heavy for Nina so he decided to help her.

By showing her the position to hold and to use enough speed to stop her ball from ending up in the gutter, she almost managed to get a strike. During that moment, their hands touched. Nina felt those small sparks and couldn't get it out of her mind, even a couple of hours later, when they sat at the back of the cinema room, watching an interesting action movie.

It feels like the most normal thing on the world for them both. Like a couple on a date.

Nina lets her hand lightly touch his one on the armrest. She slides her little finger over his, wedging it between his ring finger and little one. Jin doesn't pull away.

After the movie was over, they both discover that it was raining madly outside. Neither of them brought their umbrellas so they decide to wait it out.

Hailsstones, the size of tennis balls smashed against the floor. Taking shelter beneath the canopy with Nina, together they watch the spectacle. They were lucky they are several steps above the ground. It rained so hard that now there was a narrow river flowing towards the gutters. Unrelenting and ferocious. Bits of leaves were whipped off the surrounding trees, making a huge mess on the ground.

Nina regrets not wearing something warmer as she betted on it being humid today. This unexpected freeze seeps through the fabric of her jumpsuit, causing goosebumps to spread over her skin. Fucking hell, she didn't realise how badly the cold could affect her. Even swimming in the rain never made her feel so cold as she feel now. Jin was the sensible one, wearing jeans and a hoodie. There was heat radiating from him too. She could feel it just by standing a few inches away from him.

The sound of the rain lashing brought her attention back to it.

"I'm sure I've never seen anything quite like this." Nina says, shivering a little, stepping close to the Japanese man.

"Me too." Jin says, "Even Yakushima never got rainstorm like this!"

He sounds like he was in awe. Jin had a poetic soul and enjoyed a good storm here and there.

Neither of them knew when or who pulled the other for warmth until they were both so pressed up close together. Their heartbeats find each other's and beat in sync. The moment feels like it has come to a standstill. They were not looking at each other but at the sudden storm, arms wrapped around each other. Nina rests her head under his chin.

In this strange turn of events, in this sudden storm, nothing else mattered apart from the embrace of each other.

.

.

.

A/N: Since Jin and Nina didn't interact in the last chapter, here's a whole chapter dedicated to Jina and the Jina fans to make up for it.