The door to Goro’s Four Bowls of Fire was opened to the sound of a cheerful, jingling bell, and a black-suited man entered the business.

A handful of large and burly men were seated, idly glancing his way from plates of hot curry, spicy ramen, and whatever else was available on the limited menu. Rudolph certainly stood out compared to them in his professional dress and presentation, and he passively regarded them before everyone turned back to their business.

He strode up to the counter, leaning over it to see the kitchen was empty, but between the sounds of cutlery scraping plates, he heard what sounded like a TV coming from the back.

“Hello?” He called out.

It took a moment for him to hear shifting in the backroom, and the curtain dividing the front of the house from the back parted for a gangly old Japanese man to trundle through, glaring at Rudolph with big, sour-looking eyes.

“What?! I’m watching my shows! If you want to order something, come back at five!” The old man groused, and Rudolph regarded him with a raised eyebrow. How did this man have any customers, or even keep his business running with that kind of attitude?

Rudolph suppressed the thoughts and cleared his throat. “You must be Goro Ohno, proprietor of this business.”

“Yeah?” Goro almost snapped. “Did you have to google that one, young’n?”

Rudolph was glad he was wearing his sunglasses; the old man couldn’t see his eye twitch behind them… “Mr. Ohno—”

“Mr. Goro.”

“Mr. Goro,” Rudolph corrected himself as the short curmudgeon crossed his arms, “I’m looking for Hanabi Hanaya and have it on good authority that she’s apprenticing here. May I speak with her?”

Rudolph liked to think himself a perceptive man, picking up on social cues and using them to his advantage, so he was immediately wary when old man Goro’s angry eyes sharpened just the slightest bit…

“There’s no Hana-Hana girl here. Whoever told you that was mistaken! Now scram, commercial break’s probably over!”

Before Goro could turn away, Rudolph said, “Mr. Goro, I have to insist that I meet with her.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black business card, upon which was printed a purple eye. “My name is Rudolph Reffe, of the Romanian Reffe Clan. We’re—”

“The wha’?!” Goro stuck his pinky in his ear, turning his nose to the ceiling with utter disinterest as he pulled out some wax and glared at it. “I’m not interested in a damn raffle, and I can’t imagine this Hana-Hana person is either!”

Rudolph paused, and set his business card on the counter. “Well if a Hanabi Hanaya comes in, make sure she gets that.”

“Tch.” Goro gave the man a hard stare. “I ain’t interested in hooking you up with imaginary women! If ya ain’t gunna order somethin’, get out!”

The two men stared at each other for a long time, Goro’s eyes unwavering under Rudolph’s hidden stare, before Rudolph turned heel and started for the door.

“Have a good day, Mr. Goro.”

“Don’t let the door hitcha on the way out!”

The door slammed shut behind the Reffe, and Goro stared after him for a long while, jutting his bottom lip out.

He swept the business card off of the countertop and stared at it, reading the information on the back for a moment before trundling over to the grill. He tossed the card into the burners below, and got to work making himself a nice yakisoba grilled beef bowl.

“Man, I don’t need new clothes.” Jaquan griped as he was pushed into the men’s aisle of an American Eagle, only for his annoyance to slip into a frustrated scrunch of his brow as Ai Li poked his stomach.

“You’ve been getting a big ol’ tumtum since you quit the football team, so yes, you definitely need new shirts.” Ai Li giggled.

“Man…” Jaquan griped as he half-assedly glanced over the shirts on the rack.

“Oh! You were an American footballer?” Hanabi spoke up from an aisle away, looking at a compression shirt for a moment before putting it back.

“Yeah, yeah… I had better things to do, though.”

She gasped in delight! “You passed the pigskin to the endzone and scored a touchdown!”

Jaquan paused to stare at her. “Yep, that was me.” He said. She’d been so enthusiastic he didn’t have the heart to correct her…

Hanabi grinned, taking a look over authentic American apparel. The image of what Americans were was all over the place in Japan; there was no ‘traditional’ American-culture wear, not in the same vein of Japanese kimonos and yukatas at least. Japan had just as many T-shirts, business suits, and polos, but looking at the wall of pants, she realized that Americans certainly liked their jeans.

Whatever the case, American clothing didn’t really stand out to her, even with the greater amount of jeans and camo. It felt like shopping back home, but… surrounded by Americans.

She felt a small pang of sadness out of nowhere. She glanced up and around at all these strange faces in this strange store, and it dawned on her that this was her life for a year or… more, depending on what her father was doing by himself.

Would they have big summer fireworks festivals? She probably couldn’t find a good mochi stall on a hot summer night without making it herself… and of course, all her favorite places were an entire day away by plane, and all the people she knew as well…

Hanabi breathed out and caught herself before she could let her expression fall. Maybe she’d try writing a letter to her dad once she got home, that might help…

She snapped back to her senses and found herself staring over a blue T-shirt depicting a beach scene, and Ai Li’s short figure hovering nearby.

“You think that looks good?” Ai Li asked, though it was in a curious tone instead of a judgemental one.

Hanabi considered the shirt for another few seconds, then put it back. “Nah, I’m still just browsing. Anything stand out to you?”

“Not yet.” Ai Li shook her head. “Do you have trouble finding shirts that fit your…” She gave Hanabi a quick glance over, “arms?” She asked, staring at Hanabi’s muscle-swollen biceps.

Hanabi flexed for a moment, nearly popping Ai Li’s eyes out of her head. “It’s kinda why I like wearing tank tops. What about you?” Ai Li was almost entirely lean; flat, skinny, but not rail thin thanks to her martial exercises.

“Well…” Ai Li’s face reddened, her fingers running through her hair before pausing to drum the oversized bun at the back of her head. “I mean, I have to shop very small. I was buying kids sizes two years ago. I kinda wish I was bigger so I could fill out some clothes.”

“Yeah, we’re kinda on two ends of the scale, huh? I struggled to find clothes my size back in Japan.”

Ai Li smiled. “Uh huh. And then we’ve got Jessica who can wear anything in a woman’s size.”

The red-headed, bespectacled girl gave them both a scornful look as she walked by with a few shirts, two sets of underwear, and a skirt hanging off her arm. “Jealousy’s an ugly look, ladies!” She grunted, before continuing on to the dressing rooms.

Hanabi tugged her eyelid down and stuck out her tongue, before giggling to herself and going back to browsing. Ai Li was by her side, pointing out shirts that might look good on her when she wasn’t finding her own. They weren’t silent for long, however.

“Ai-chan?” Hanabi spoke up, moving onto the next aisle to look at more than T-shirts.

“Hm?” Ai Li tried to hide a thick swallow at the little name…

“Before we had that real duel at your healing place,” Hanabi started, thinking more than searching, “you were all about being taken seriously in a fight; other people kept holding back on you.”

“Yeah?” Ai Li glanced up curiously.

“Why do you want to fight?”

Ai Li shot her a surprised look, and Hanabi returned it with an apologetic one.

“Sorry, I know this is just a shopping trip, it’s just been bothering me.”

“Well… why wouldn’t I?” Ai Li asked, sounding unsure of her own question. “I’ve got the fighting skills to do it, right? My clan’s raised me to heal and to fight, so…”

“Wouldn’t you rather focus on the healing?” Hanabi asked with a tilt of her head. “Like, when you got rid of that clot, or dam or whatever with your powers, it felt amazing to just be at a-hundred percent again.” Hanabi picked up a frilly pink sweater with shortened sleeves and ruffles around the armholes, and she pressed it to her torso while thinking. “I get fighting to defend yourself, but you said you’re in a tournament, right?”

“Yeah.” Ai Li answered, her eyes sinking a bit as her hands slowed. “I like healing, I swear I do.” She sighed. “I get these really high profile clients sometimes, too, so it makes money, but… well, all my life people have treated me as a little girl. Of course I’d become a healer, the Li Clan has always been healers, but we were warriors once too fighting for the Ming Dynasty. I mean, I guess it was always kind of expected of me, but…”

She puffed her cheeks up, and growled. “People seem to think it’s all I can do. I tried out for all the sports at school, even freaking powderpuff football, and I never got brought on. The coaches would all say I was too small, and then they’d go on about how I should focus on the Water Needle, how I can always support the teams by healing cramps, or dealing with injuries, and—”

“And you want to compete.” Hanabi surmised, Ai Li not answering right away, but the silence was telling. “All my life I’ve been big.” Hanabi chuckled gently, flexing an arm, but also subtly raising her bust with her other. “People notice me, for better or worse. I’ve been challenged to all sortsa fights and competitions as a result.”

“Over what?”

“Y’know, the usual.” Hanabi shrugged her shoulders. “They’d want a date if they beat me, or jump straight to marriage, free food at my restaurant, get revenge for getting beaten up, because I said something wrong and they took it as disrespect, or they decided to grab me while I was on the subway and, well, like, y’know, gotta kick their ass…” Hanabi sighed. “But I think the biggest reason was wanting to prove they were stronger than a Hanaya.”

“People respect your strength because they can see it.” Ai Li grunted, though her frustration was directed more at herself than Hanabi. “They see me and think I’m cute and shouldn’t get involved; or worse, that I need to be protected. But, I already won one fight in the New World Tournament, people saw what I’m capable of. I just want to be respected for what I can do, not disregarded because I’m little Ai Li.”

“Well you have my respect, you kicked some ass when I was there!” Hanabi settled a hand on Ai Li’s head, drawing a pout, then a sigh.

“So what about you?” Ai Li looked up at Hanabi, knocking her hand off her head. “You’re built like a lioness, you’re a great fighter, you could enter the tournament!”

Hanabi’s hand stopped petting, working her mouth around in thought. “I didn’t even know there was a tournament going on until you mentioned it at the healing center. Is it some local thing? I know Osaka’s arranged a few enlightened tournaments…”

“Well, it’s based here in New Medeo City, but…”

Jaquan, as if summoned by the conversation, suddenly stepped up between them, wearing an eager grin. “It's a worldwide open invitation tournament arranged by the single strongest man in the world! It’s got hundreds of participants and media coverage by the Reffe clan!”

“The Reffe clan?” Hanabi asked in surprise. “I think I had one of them judge a cooking competition I was in once…”

“Yeah, they arranged the whole thing, set up the rules, put out invitations, scout talent, and they’re the first and final judges of each fight.” Jaquan pulled out his phone and showed Hanabi a live feed of what looked like a spontaneous alleyway fight between two angry drunk dudes, until one of them started climbing a sheer wall and the other jumped twenty-five feet straight into the air to try and land a divekick. “They’re pretty much always watching the competitors at all times. Heck, there’s probably one watching Ai Li right now.”

Hanabi blinked and glanced around the store. She saw a few other women and some employees walking around, but nobody that immediately stood out.

“My first fight was against somebody who ambushed me two hours ahead of schedule when I was grocery shopping.” Ai Li looked more annoyed than anything. “Dude jumps me, I’m fighting for my life and take him down, and a Reffe guy steps in out of nowhere to mug for the camera and award me a point.”

“Wait, you got attacked outside of the scheduled fight and they counted it?!” Hanabi asked with widening eyes. “What if he’d won?!”

“He’d have gotten the point.” Jaquan answered. “The tournament is anything goes, by Muhamed Wangui’s orders. There’s a couple of rules, but for the most part? If it’s fair in war, it’s fair in this tournament.”

Hanabi shot Ai Li a worried look, but the smaller girl just gave a bashful smile. “I won the fight. I was the better fighter, even if I wasn’t expecting it.”

“I guess.” Hanabi grumbled. “Just seems pretty rife for cheating.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it though.” Jaquan glanced at Hanabi. “It’s worldwide, I’m pretty sure every enlightened alive has heard of it.”

Hanabi shrugged. “Well it missed me. Besides, not really interested. I came to this city to cook and get a business degree. I get ambushed enough in my day-to-day life anyways; did Ai Li tell you how we met?”

Ai Li made a squeaking noise, and Jaquan gave a laugh. “Yeah!”

“That’s pretty normal for me!”

“Shocking, but seriously, there’s a huge number of benefits if you go far in the tournament brackets.” Jaquan watched the camera feed with a grin as the two fighters ended up on a roof. “Cash prizes, promises of sponsorships, and the winner becomes Master Wangui’s apprentice! You could be trained by the world’s strongest man!”

“In what?” Hanabi asked with a tilt of her head.

Jaquan opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out, his face furling up in confusion. “In fighting?”

“That’s cool and all, but I’d rather cook.” Hanabi turned back to looking at the clothing, Ai Li and Jaquan sharing a look of surprise.

Ai Li spoke up, staring at Hanabi’s figure in increasing wonder. “So, what’s cooking to you? You’re a great fighter, you’re in great shape, but you’d rather be something that, like, millions of other people do?”

“Yup!” Hanabi beamed. “Cooking is… I mean, it’s not older than fighting, but it’s old. I mean, cavemen were throwing meat over the fire to cook it.” Hanabi answered, running her fingers along the lines of clothing to see if any jumped out at her. “And it got complicated and stuff. It’s cool, it’s its own science, and when you do it right, it tastes amazing! And there’s so many styles! French, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, and you have the super simple dishes where you can just throw something on top of rice, but then you got, like, eggs sous vide and souffles where it’s complicated but yummy.”

She continued: “I guess, like… cooking to me is a way to make people and myself happy. Sure, I could fight and get some money, but cooking is super fun, I love to eat, and everyone loves you for it. Heck, my dad’s cooking is so good we have two of the richest people in Japan as regulars.”

“Oh wow, that actually sounds nice.” Ai Li said.

“Mhmm! They’re super nice people. Aunt Sayuri and uncle Sarutobi are good people.”

“Hey.” Jaquan spoke up, looking at the girls’ empty arms. “Have you two found anything?”

“Nah.”

“Not really.”

“Mind if we move on?”

“Sure.” Ai Li shrugged her little shoulders. “Lemme go get Jess and we can swing by that cookware place on the way to GameTopia.”

Hanabi gave a little cheer, and followed Jaquan to stand by the store’s exit as Ai Li went to the dressing rooms in the back.

Jaquan was watching more fights on his phone, and Hanabi leaned against the wall and relaxed. It figured a tournament would sprout up the day she arrived in the city…

After a few minutes, she looked in the dressing rooms’ directions, her brow furrowed in confusion with the lack of Ai Li. Jaquan must have sensed something amiss too, since he had paused the video and was giving the same direction a concerned stare.

“I’ll go check on her.” Hanabi said, and Jaquan gave a thumbs up and went back to his video.

Hanabi padded towards the back and glanced up and down the row of stalls, all open, and Ai Li wandered out of one looking confused.

“Ai-chan! There you are. Where’s Jessica?”

“I don’t know.” Ai Li admitted, glancing back into the stall. “I found the clothes she brought in, but no Jessica.”

“Did she leave?” Hanabi asked, heading over to join Ai Li. Yup, there were some clothes piled on the bench, but no girl inside…

“Jessica’s aggressive, but she’s got a thing about being honest. She would have told us, or texted us if it was an emergency…” Ai Li mumbled.

Hanabi approached the clothes and picked them up; not that she suspected anything wrong with them, but it was something to do while she was thinking, and she flinched as something fell out of a shirt onto the floor.

Ai Li scooped the thing up, and stared at a small note card.

“What’s that?” Hanabi asked.

“Hold on… ‘To Ai Li…’ Wait, I was meant to find this?”

“Oh god.” Hanabi set the clothes down again with a grunt.

“What?”

“Keep reading.”

Ai Li looked confused, but did as ordered: “‘To Ai Li—”

Hanabi sighed. “We have your friend…”

“‘I have your friend.’ Wait, what?” Ai Li blinked.

“Next’ll be the reassurance she’s fine, then the half-assed promise they’ll do something bad if you don’t follow their directions, then they’ll tell you where to meet them, and then there will be punching.”

“... ‘She is safe, for now, but she might not be—’ did this happen a lot to you?”

“It was how I got sucked into, like, fifty-percent of my fights. Poor Yoshi-kun…”

“‘—unless you follow orders. Come to the Scallywag Play Park in the west wing. Bring your best. Bernard Bucc—’ Aww really?!”

“You kicked his ass and now he wants a rematch.” Hanabi surmised glumly. “Ugh, and I was going to get a wok.”

“Well!” Ai Li straightened up, her eyes extra sharp as a deep breath puffed her meager chest out. “Maybe we’ll get you that wok after I wipe his face all over the goddamned floor!” Ai Li stormed towards the exit, angry pouring off of her in heated waves, the note crumpling in her fist.

“Ai-chan!” Hanabi took her by the shoulder, making Ai Li pause, shaken out of her stomping by her surprise. “Calm down. He wants you to come in angry. That’ll make it harder for you to notice all the details around you. Go in calm, and I’ll go with you. He’s ruining my shopping trip too.”

“It would…” Ai Li thought for a moment. “It would be dishonorable for a Li to ask for another’s help.”

Hanabi thought about it for a second. “I’ll sit out if you really want me to. I’ll focus on grabbing Jessica, then!”

With an agreeing nod, the two girls ran out, Hanabi sliding to a stop just outside the store as Ai Li flew towards the western end of the mall, Jaquan and the crowd of shoppers staring in surprise as she disappeared.

“Jaquan!” Hanabi smiled. “You wanna see a fight?!”

He blinked, staring back at Hanabi. “Yeah?!”

“Then c’mon, footballer, keep up! Jessica’s been kidnapped and me and Ai Li are gunna save her!”

“Wait what?!”

Hanabi broke off into a sprint, and Jaquan followed quickly after.