Tournaments Aren't Everything Ch. 3 - Life of a Girl
By Simon Corby

Ryu turned… slowly; he could sense that no further attacks were going to be made by the person. The foot was still in Ryu’s block, and it was the first thing Ryu saw of the attacker when he turned. The foot was encased in a white sock, and still turning, Ryu saw the rest of the attacker… who was smiling at Ryu?

“Nearly got ya!” the girl said with a slight blush, Ryu saw a shadow on her face and looked up to see what caused it, hovering about 10 feet above her was a trainer that started to descend and momentarily landed on her head. The girl didn’t flinch but she immediately turned an even greater shade of red. ‘D*mm!’ she thought, ‘why does this always happen when I meet somebody I like…’

This incident allowed Ryu to continue taking in the details of this girl that stood in front of him; she had short brown hair which was held in place by a white bandanna, and she wore a whit… ‘Hold on a minute,’ he thought to him self, ‘that looks like a school uniform, surely she cannot be a school girl…?’ he continued thinking to himself, but she broke the silence and said, “I cannot believe that I am finally meeting you,“ she looked down at her trainer which was on the floor to the left of her, “and I have made a fool out of myself by doing this” she said with a embarrassed tone in her voice, the red was still very much visible on her face. As she replaced her trainer, Ryu said comfortingly “Don’t worry about it, we all make mistakes’, she looked up at Ryu and smiled

“Thanks…” she paused slightly and that said “Hey, I saw you fight last at ‘the Pit’…” she looked at Ryu’s left eye, the bruises had settled quite a bit, “and I can see that you didn’t take too much damage.” She finished and waited to see if Ryu would respond.

“You were there, aren’t you a little young to be in a place like that,” Ryu stated in a rather surprised tone.

“Nothing will stop me from watching you… fight!” She said in a soft tone, but it quickly rose as she finished the sentence. Ryu just stood silent for a moment, he knew that there was truth in her words, but… he also felt that there was more to it. More that she wasn’t telling him.

“Well!” Ryu broke his silence “I have got to be off, I have a plane to catch”, and was about to leave as the girl stopped him.

“Look, I know you like walking…” she started

‘How does she know about my routine,’ Ryu thought to himself

“But I can get my friend Karin to make sure that you don’t miss your flight, after all, she would like to meet you as well with you being a friend of Ken Masters.”

She stopped for a second and saw the uncertain look on Ryu’s face.

“Well I don’t kno…” Ryu said but was interrupted by the girl saying “Please…!”. A small smile came across Ryu’s face.

“Well… alright then” Ryu said to which prompted a huge smile on the girl’s face.

“Yes! Well lets go to Karin’s now,” the girl said and dragged Ryu off into the distance.

“Hold on a minute” Ryu said with a slight chuckle in his voice, “I don’t even know your name?”

And the girl still dragging Ryu said cheerfully “Oh! My name is Sakura!”

An open mouthed girl was still sat opposite the Japan Monitor in the Interpol intelligence office. ‘I cannot believe I just saw that, I hope Ryu doesn’t get involved with her’. The Sergeant turned to speak to her.

“Well… I wonder what that School girl wanted Ryu for?” the sergeant questioned Chun Li.

“S-School Girl… phew!” Chun Li said very much relived that Ryu wouldn’t be taken like she first thought. The Sergeant looked at her with a big grin on his face.

“You really have got the hot’s for Ryu, Haven’t you?” he said just waiting for Chun Li to turn red again… Which immediately happened.

“We…Well Err” Chun Li murmured as she was unsure how to respond to his question, ‘there’s a lot more to it then he knows’ Chun Li thought to herself.

“Well…” the sergeant said to Chun Li, “It should be music to you ears then when I tell you that Ryu is expected to visit the Masters Residents tomorrow, for how long I am not sure.” Chun Li stood silent, this made her feel very happy but at the same time very nervous ‘will I be able to tell him’ she thought to herself.

“I shale have to phone Ken up tomorrow morning then,” Chun Li said and then giggled as she thought ‘well Chun… we shale soon find out…’

Ryu stood in the massive garden of the Kanzuki Residents, Sakura had ran over to the main building, to tell Karin about “What happened’ and ‘Who was now in her garden’. While waiting, Ryu surveyed the Garden and decided that it was nearly as big as the Masters pasture ‘as Ken’s Father called it’. Ryu continued to look around and saw that he was only about 100 feet away from a tree. ‘Well’ he thought to himself ‘I might as well while I am waiting’ and he ran over to the tree in question.

When he was about 20 feet away from it, his powerful legs contracted slightly a pushed Ryu about 10 feet into the air, while air bound Ryu out-stretched his right leg and tucked in his left leg so that his foot was literally underneath his right thigh. His arms were positioned so that he was holding a imaginarily bow, and his mind was concentrated on the target… the tree that was now 12 feet in front of him. Ryu attitude slowly dropped but he was still 5 feet in the air when his foot made contact with the tree. Then he dropped his left leg and stood next to the tree. His right leg was still impaling the tree after the perfectly executed flying kick. Then slowly, he withdrew his right leg and placed it about a foot behind his left leg, while in time he was positioning his arms; left bent and resting just above his waist, and right, withdrawn, held by his side ready to strike.

Moments later, he moves his left arm side wards and drops his right arm slightly, as he raises his right leg… bent at first but straighten at its peak and momentarily bring his right leg forcefully down, with all the strength of a axe, to the right hand side of the tree. Then with his right foot firmly situated in front of him, he pivots anti-clockwise on it, and gracefully brings up his left leg and hooks it around the tree, with his heel hitting the side of the tree he was initially looking at. He then, once again, slowly withdraws his left leg as he pivots clockwise on his right leg and regains his stance, once again, facing the tree. He then… Hears the laughter of two girls approaching him and quickly ends his kata by standing straight and finally bowing to the tree, as the traditional ‘mark of respect’.

The two girls finally reached Ryu, and he looked at them, the one on the left was Sakura, and the one on the right, he presumed through seeing a similar school uniform, was Karin. Her uniform was red, and she had long Blonde hair that was in locks, see also had a ribbon in her hair.

“As you have no doubt guessed,” Sakura started “This is Karin”.

Ryu bowed at Karin and politely she returned the mark of Respect.

“It’s a pleasure to meet such a close friend of Ken Masters like yourself” Karin said to Ryu, “And… so I have been Informed…” she continued, “You will be travelling tonight to see him.” she smiled at Ryu, and he politely returned it.

“Well, I will make sure that you catch your flight later on, but please” she asked “tell us more about yourself and your relationship with Ken over the past years.”

“And maybe…” Sakura Interrupted “Teach us about the goal of the warrior, and how to reach it”. Karin was not pleased that Sakura interrupted her, but she agreed with what Sakura said so Karin decided to let it past.

Ryu chuckled to himself, surprised at the girl’s enthusiasm. He then Sat on the Grass and started to discus his life story with both of them.