Chun Li walked down the cluttered streets of China. It has been 2 weeks since she had lost the tournament...the very tournament that she had trained so hard to win. Winter had taken its toll on the city; the wind howled, and the floors were wet from the recent rain. Chun Li continued to walk, ignoring the cold temperature and damp hair. She felt so empty having lost what she felt was her chance to avenge her father. Those who knew of the tournament on the streets congratulated her for going as far as she did, but they couldn't understand. She hadn't gone to the tournament to get far or do her best...she had gone to defeat M. Bison. Now her hope was the ashes of the fire that once burned so brightly. She had won countless rounds against legendary fighters, yet ultimately she lost. Tears sprang into her eyes and she quickly brushed them away. She refused to cry. A cold breeze blew and her hair flew back behind her. She walked without feeling in her legs, yet she knew where she was going. A few minutes later, she stood at a tall, gloomy, black, gate. She pushed open the gate and walked in. She lightly stepped on the moist grass and looked up at the dark sky. Her feet seemingly walked on their own, pushing her toward her destination. She looked at the plaque rooted to the ground and dropped to her knees. The iciness of the raindrops on the grass shot through her, but she didn't move. She delicately placed flowers atop the plaque. Her pants were dirty with mud and grime from the storm, but Chun Li remained in her spot, silently praying for her father while the rain and her tears fell.

After crying for fifteen minutes, Chun Li silently got up. Her hair was wet and strands stuck to her face, her were stockings muddy and scraped at the knees, her clothes soaked and fraying. She made her way out of the cemetery. She walked down the streets, her eyes now slightly pink and a little puffy from crying, her clothes worn and dirty, her hair matted and clumped. People stared at her as she passed. Her hair loose and flying wherever the wind took it, her jeans muddy and soiled, her white blouse fraying and drenched. Chun Li ignored them. "What did THEY know?" she thought as she walked down the narrow streets. She made her way to her apartment complex and entered the building. She walked to the mailboxes, inserted her key, and removed her mail which consisted of bills, a magazine, and advertisements. The receptionist looked at Chun Li with pity. Chun Li forced a weak smile.
"Wait here." The receptionist told her in Mandarin. He went into the door behind him and brought out some green tea in a Styrofoam cup. He offered the cup to her and she took it gratefully. She whispered a "Thank you" to the receptionist and made her way up the stairs. She found her room and inserted the key. She let herself into the apartment and shut the door behind her. She dropped the mail on the floor and walked to the couch. Her hair was drying, but still stuck to her face. She sipped the refreshing tea and placed the empty cup on the coffee table in front of the couch. Then she collapsed sideways and fell asleep.

Chun Li woke up groggily in the middle of the night. She looked to the window and saw that the storm had ceased, replaced by a refreshing drizzle. She walked to her bathroom and took a shower, relieving some of the stress. She put on a long, silky, black skirt and an upper-thigh length, long-sleeved, dark green Mandarin-style shirt with gold dragons embroidered on them. She buttoned up the wooden buttons and grabbed her brush. It took her a while to brush her hair due to the tangles that were formed due to the rain but she managed to undo every tangle. She twisted her long, brown hair into a bun and help it in place with two, ivory-colored hair chopsticks. She put on a layer of chapstick on her lips and a light pink gloss. She walked to the apartment door and put on a pair of black shoes. As she walked out of her apartment, she grabbed her keys, an umbrella and purse. She shoved the keys into her purse, and walked down the stairs. The receptionist looked up at her, startled at the fact that someone was leaving at 11:00 PM.
"I'm just going to take a walk." Chun Li acknowledged in his native language. The receptionist nodded and continued wrapping up what was left to be done.

Chun Li walked out into the cool night air. She opened her umbrella and walked gracefully under its shelter. She walked down the still-noisy markets and streets. Those who had leaking ceilings were throwing out buckets of water from overhead. She continued to walk until she found a tiny, slightly worn noodle house that was still open. She pushed the door open and made her way into the deserted tables and chairs. "How many?" The elderly serving woman asked in Mandarin, coming out of the kitchen.
"Just me." Chun Li replied in Mandarin. The elderly woman smiled at Chun Li as she directed her to a table that could fit four. Chun Li sat at the table, noticing that some of the elderly woman's teeth were missing. She ordered a bowl of ramen and fried shumai. The serving woman set down a cup of steaming tea and went back into the kitchen to prepare her food. Suddenly the door opened and an American male's complaints could be heard.
"Man, this sucks! I can't find a place to eat where people understand what I'm saying!" He whined.
"Maybe it's because we're in CHINA, Ken!" Another male replied. At the sound of the word "Ken," Chun Li nearly jumped, but she restrained her self and brought the teacup to her lips while trying to see the two men out of the corner of her eyes.
"Well excuse me Mr. Street Fighter Champion!" Ken responded sarcastically. Chun Li reflexively dropped the cup and it shattered on the table into fragments. Hot tea made a puddle on her table and started to drip on her skirt. Chun Li quickly rose from the table, making sure her back was facing the two men. The serving woman rushed out and wiped the table.
"Are you alright?" She asked in Mandarin. Chun Li nodded slowly, feeling slightly guilty for breaking the cup seeing as the restaurant was very small and probably didn't make enough money to buy extra cups whenever something like this happened. She quickly took out some money from her purse and handed it to the elderly woman who shook her head.
"No that's fine, I'm more concerned about you." She said.
"No no, take it." Chun Li insisted.
The elderly woman ignored her asked, "Are you hurt, burned, anything?"
"No, I'm fine. I'm really sorry. Here." Chun Li shoved the money in the woman's fist. The woman put it on the table and laughed telling her it was fine and she could manage. She brought another cup of tea to the freshly wiped table and then turned her attention to the two men at the entrance.
"How many?" She asked in Mandarin.
Ken and Ryu looked at each other, puzzled, then they looked back at her.
"Um, do you speak English?" Ken asked. The woman looked at him, confused.
"Table...for..two..." Ken said slowly. The elderly woman failed to understand what he was saying.
"They want a table for two." Chun Li involuntarily said in Mandarin. Then she realized that she had just blown her cover and prayed that they wouldn't be seated next to her. Immediately the serving woman knew what they meant and directed them to a table...that was right next to Chun Li. Chun Li cursed under her breath. The last people she wanted to talk to were Ken and Ryu. Ken, well he had a tendency to be annoying...Ryu on the other hand, he was the person who stopped her from avenging her father. He defeated her in the final match, when victory was so close.
"Hey, it's you!" Ken's voice exclaimed, interrupting her thoughts.
"Huh?" Chun Li asked, startled.
"It's that Chun Li girl!" Ken said excitedly. "I KNEW you looked familiar."
"Uh..." Chun Li began, not knowing what to say and hoping that Ken's voice didn't reach Ryu's ears. Once again, she was plagued with bad luck. Ryu looked up at Chun Li. He too recognized her.
"You were a really good opponent." He began hesitantly, unsure of whether or not she'd be mad. Chun Li quickly turned away from them, not wanting to injure her pride any deeper after her loss.
"Okay, she's still mad." Ryu's mind told him. The serving woman brought Chun Li her food and she angled her plate slightly so she wouldn't feel obligated to talk to the two men. Ken and Ryu had no problem ordering Chinese dishes and waited while their food was being made.
"So how are you?" Ken asked shifting his chair so he could see Chun Li's face.
"Fine." She stated. She bit into her shumai with a bit of an annoyed expression on her face.
"How have you been since the tournament?" Ken asked. Chun Li dropped her piece of shumai onto the dish. She had lost her composure for a second, regaining it quickly, she straightened her back. "Fine." She repeated. She tried to eat as quickly as she could while keeping a dignified front and not eating TOO quickly.
"Any chance you might say more than a one-syllable word in our conversation?" Ken asked.
"No." Chun Li said while sipping the soup from the ramen. Ken was about to ask another question when the serving woman brought out his food along with Ryu's. He shifted his attention from Chun Li to his steaming bowl of spicy ramen and gyoza (well, wonton in this case) pieces. Ryu nodded to acknowledge his thanks for the tempura udon noodles. The three ate in silence...for the most part at least. Ken was slurping his noodles and scarfing down the gyoza as if he hadn't eaten for months.
Chun Li called out to the serving woman in Mandarin. "I'm done!"
The serving woman went to the cash register and printed out Chun Li's receipt. She walked to the table and set the receipt and tray at the surface. Chun Li nodded and thanked her for the delicious noodles. The elderly woman smiled and told her she was welcome at any time. Chun Li took out her wallet from her purse and put money for the meal, the serving woman's tip, and extra money for breaking the cup. As she was walking to the door, Ken grabbed her wrist.
"Hey, aren't you going to stick around for dessert? Green tea ice cream maybe?" He asked.
"No thanks." She replied.
"Wow!" Ken commented with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"What?" Chun Li asked.
"You said more than one word!"
"Ugh!" Chun Li retorted furiously as she removed her wrist from Ken's grip and walked out the door angrily.
"She must really hate me, eh?" Ken asked his companion.
"I'll be right back." Ryu said, ignoring Ken's sarcastic remark.
"Where're you going?" Ken asked. Ryu ignored him and walked out the door. Why did Chun Li hate him so much? Just because he had beaten her? He saw Chun Li and followed her as she quickly walked through the streets, which were now emptier than in the early morning rush. She saw her turn and walk on a narrow path. He ran after her, situating his words in his mind.
Chun Li walked in the narrow alley. The sides had frost building up on them from the winter's iciness and the water that was poured down earlier in the day. She walked slower now wondering why she was in such a rush in the first place. The rain had stopped, but it was still cold, especially during the night. She walked the path, careful not to step on any of the ice patches.
"Why do you hate me?" A voice asked from behind her. She immediately recognized the voice. Her turning around and looking the person straight in the eye confirmed the identity. Ryu stood there looking at her with a gaze that seemed almost pained.
"I don't." Chun Li said simply as she continued to walk up the path. Ryu followed her from behind.
"Then why are you avoiding me?" He asked.
"I'm just not in the mood to talk right now."
"What if I came tomorrow, or a month later? I don't think you'd be in the 'mood' then either."
He was right on target. Still, Chun Li defended herself. "I don't think you're in any position to assume that."
"Maybe not, but it's the truth isn't it?"
Chun Li stopped walking. "Truth or no truth, I don't hate you."
"Then why are you refusing to talk to me?"
"Because I don't like you!"
"Well then you hate me, right?"
"No, I just don't like you! That doesn't mean I HATE you!"
"OK, then why do you 'not like' me?"
"Not everyone in life is going to like you!"
"True, but you need a reason to be 'unliked'."
Chun Li was silent.
Ryu asked her, "Is it because I defeated you in battle?"
"No!" Chun Li thought about that again. "Well, in an indirect way...yes..."
"Explain."
"Well, it's just that my father...hey! This is none of your business!" Chun Li declared as she began to walk forward again.
"Maybe I can help." Ryu offered.
Chun Li spun around, annoyed. "I DON'T need your help!" She turned around again and walked forward.
"But I want to help if I can." Ryu said. Chun Li was now feeling very irked. She spun around furiously to shoot an argument but felt herself slip on a patch of ice and fall forward into Ryu's chest. They stood there, together for a millisecond before Chun Li pulled away quickly...maybe too quickly. She slipped on the same patch of ice and fell back. Ryu extended his hand to her, but she got up briskly wiped her black skirt and started to walk away from him.
"Chun Li!" Ryu called after her.
"Leave me alone!" She yelled back. Ryu stood in the alley for a few seconds, then he turned around pondering about what Chun Li was about to say about her father.