A Chance

Looking at each other, Kai asked Zero, "We're in trouble, aren't we?"

"No, really?" Lianne said, putting a hand over her heart, with a shocked expression.

She then turned to Zero, who was slowly getting up and looking slightly sheepish, "Don't you give me that 'I am sorry' look. Not working. What on Earth were you thinking?!"

Lianne pointed at Kai, who was sitting up.

"Was it fun bullying him?" Lianne asked, an eyebrow raised.

Kai looked a bit indignant, "I wasn't being bullied."

Lianne turned to face him, disdain upon her face, "Oh, so I suppose the black eye, cut lips and almost getting your nose broken is not being bullied?"

Kai put his hand under his jaw, moving it, noting that it wasn't broken even though it hurt, "I gave as good as I got."

Lianne rolled her eyes, pointed at Zero who didn't look any worse for wear, and said, "Really now? I question your sense of achievement."

Kai pursed his lips, "I managed to down him."

Lianne shook her head, crossed her hands across her chest and tapped her foot while looking at Zero.

Zero put his hand behind his neck, saying, "I did hold back."

"You were holding back?!" Kai couldn't help but gasp out.

Lianne, seeing how miserable Kai looked, couldn't help but say, "Look, Kai, I know you're skilled but there's only one person in Country Tz that can beat Zero. And that person is Kyle."

"I could have beaten him …" Kai protested.

"Yeah, right. In another ten years, maybe. Five, tops," Lianne replied.

Seeing the dissatisfaction on Kai's face, Lianne continued ruthlessly, ""What? Did you think that you're the main lead in some novel, whereby you can beat anyone? Face reality, Kai," Lianne said, "Zero has been training way longer than you and he is trained to kill. You? Kill to defend yourself, maybe, but your training was never as intensive as his."

"Oh come on," Kai protested, "Granted, Zero's training was different from mine but to say that he's been training way longer than me? I've been training since I was seven!"

"Zero started when he was six, and he's ten years older, you know," Lianne pointed out, "There's always a mountain higher than you."

"Wait, what?!" Kai said, standing up in shock and looking at Zero, "He's … 30?!"

Zero looked at him with his stoic face, "No."

Kai looked relieved.

"Older," Zero said.

"Damn, man," Kai retorted, "What steroids are you on?!"

How the heck is he going to be better than his rival then? So Lianne liked the mature type of man?

It was bad enough that he couldn't fight as well as Zero, but now? No matter what, it's not like he could age himself.

And she really looked down on him, too. She never had faith or believed that he could have ever beaten her precious Zero.

Kai felt really depressed now.

Zero just smirked.

"Zero," she called out, and Zero's smirk disappeared.

He slowly turned to look at her, putting on his most innocent look.

Lianne just glared at him.

Zero sighed, and his shoulders slumped.

"He's not bad, Lianne," Zero said softly, and got out of the ring.

Kai was stunned upon hearing that.

What?

His rival said he wasn't bad?

He wasn't hearing things, was he?

Wait, could his rival actually be stepping aside?!

As happy as Kai was, this seemed strange.

Zero had been quite protective of Lianne, his Angel but now, even after winning the fight, he put in a good word for him?

What was going on?

Kai looked at Zero and Lianne, and he was immensely puzzled over the whole thing.

He saw as Zero put his hands on Lianne's shoulders. She was looking down and Zero was most likely saying something. Unfortunately, Zero had his back to him, so he couldn't read the lips. Still, he didn't get down from the ring but merely stood there, staring at the strange pair.

"Li," Zero said, using the endearment that only Kyle had used before, "I know you're angry that I baited him, but this is just something us men got to do. He put up a good fight, you know, and all he wanted was just a chance to go out with you and let you know him."

When Lianne didn't look up at him, Zero put his hand under her chin and made her look at him, saying, "Give him a chance. Just get to know him."

Zero shrugged, "I can always beat him up properly if he does anything inappropriate."

Lianne sighed and glanced at Kai, who was just staring at them but not making a move.

She had to acknowledge the fact that this guy was persistent and respectful of her, despite the fact that he was trying to 'steal' her away from her 'boyfriend'.

Lianne looked down again, her head and heart were fighting as to what her next actions would be.

Yes, her heart was moved and she did find him interesting.

From the moment she saw him, his physical features attracted her immensely. But wasn't that just a physical attraction?

Her head was telling her that he was trouble and she liked to stay away from trouble.

She thought he would give up when he couldn't find her but she had to admit, a part of her was hoping he wouldn't give up.

The constant push-and-pull that she had over the past three months did tell her one thing.

She wasn't going to get over this fixation she had with Kai anytime soon.

So, perhaps ...

Perhaps if she did get to know him better, she'll find that he's quite boring and then, be uninterested?

Perhaps he, too, would find her to be completely beyond his expectations and then, things would not pan out?

Although her heart felt a little bit of sadness over that, Lianne thought that it would be better that way.

The fantasy is always better than reality, right?

She gave a big sigh, "Fine. I'll give him a chance ... but on one condition."

"Anything," Zero replied, smiling softly.

"You ask Lily out," Lianne replied.

"WHAT?!" Zero couldn't help but shout, his eyes bulging wide open.