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Kazuya Mishima was a man of few words, but when he showed affection to someone he loved, it was genuine. One of his favorite pastimes was reading, and after finishing some work, he relaxed on the sofa with one of his favorite books. He hadn’t noticed that he had spent hours in his office, which worried Jun.
“Kazuya-san, so this is where you’ve been,” Jun called out, mildly annoyed. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? Not just me, but Mikoto too!”
“Where else would I be, Jun?” he replied, confused by her irritation.
Jun sighed, ready to scold him for not telling her where he was, until she noticed the book in his hand. “Oh, you're reading? Mind if I join you?” she asked, lying beside him on the couch. Kazuya let her settle in, resting a hand on her waist.
“Sure.”
“I see you’re on chapter five already. You’re a fast reader. Who taught you to read? My father taught me.”
“Ah, Junichi-sama?”
Jun nodded. “Yes. We’d spend hours in the estate’s library, reading and learning together. It wasn’t a big estate, but it was enough to expand our knowledge. My father also taught me writing and how to my practice Kata.”
“Hmph, I see. My mother taught me to read and write. I was homeschooled. Heihachi didn’t let me attend school until after her death, and Chaolan and I were always in the principal's office once I did go.”
“I’m sorry, Kazuya-san.” Jun gently placed her hand on his chest, comforting him.
Kazuya scoffed and kissed her forehead. “Hmph, it doesn’t matter now. That bastard's still alive, but I’ll—"
“Kazuya-san,” Jun interrupted, stroking his scarred cheek. “The best revenge is living your life fully. Let’s defeat Heihachi and Reina with love this time and break the circle. You have me, Mikoto, Jin, Lee, Lars, even Anna.”
“Heh, you’re wise, Jun. I suppose you’ve passed that on to your children,” Kazuya said after a pause, then added, “Yes, Jin too.”
Jun chuckled. “I won’t tell him you said that,” she teased, kissing his cheek.
“Well, truth must be told. Did you teach Jin to read and write?”
Jun nodded, with a hint of bittersweetness. “Yes. Like you, he was homeschooled most of his life. I taught him to read and write Japanese, and I trained him in Kazama-ryu to protect himself, just in case. It wasn’t until Heihachi took him in that he went to school.”
Kazuya shook his head and cut her off. “It wasn’t wrong to send him there, Jun. As much as I hate Heihachi, he taught Jin Mishima-ryu and how to use the electrics. The Mishima bloodline is part of him, and he needed to understand it. Without Heihachi, Jin wouldn’t have learned more languages, gone to school, or met new people. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Thank you, Kazuya-san,” Jun said softly, resting her head on his chest. She often listened to his heartbeat whenever they were close, a habit she picked up after they were reunited.
“One thing’s for sure—I won’t teach Mikoto Heihachi’s Mishima-ryu. I’ll let that style die with him. I’ll teach her the true Mishima way, as Jinpachi and our ancestors did.”
“That sounds wonderful, Kazuya-san.”
“Did you know, like her brother and us, she’s already created her own technique? She wanted to show me, but she fell asleep.”
“Aww, I can’t wait to see it! She’s so fierce.”
“She’s your daughter too,” Kazuya chuckled.
“Kazuya-san!” Jun pouted at his teasing.
“Any news from Jin? He won’t send anything to me, but I hear from Chaolan and Lars,” Kazuya asked, a bit annoyed that Jin didn’t fully trust him yet, though he couldn’t blame him.
“He’s in Mexico with Ling Xiaoyu and Hwoarang, investigating some ancient relics,” Jun said.
“I see. Well, he’ll come to us once he’s done.” Kazuya stood up.
“Oh, Kazuya,” Jun rubbed his back. “Give him time to adjust. Everything happening now is still new for him.”
Kazuya nodded.
Jun smiled, then glanced at the clock. “Oh, look at the time! It’s almost time for dinner. How about we go out to eat tonight?”
Kazuya smirked. “A date?”
“Mikoto’s coming with us, Kazuya-san.”
“Hmph,” he scoffed, somewhat disappointed.