Tagged 'LOVE'

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia Axis Powers and the canon characters.

Warning: Mild language, OCs and AU (This is not the regular Hetalia Gakuen universe, this is in W Academy universe)

Tagged 'LOVE'

"Your whole life is in the education system. You end it when you either graduate or drop out."

"So basically, we just wear this paper necklace and write whatever we want on each other's papers, right? I can do that."

In the Asia classroom, a group of ten youth sitting in a circle fussed among themselves. Each of them was different, unique in their own way, yet they were family. They lived side by side and they're "the closest family he had known" as China phrased it.

"If they are going to write my oh-so-many virtues on my paper, I'd rather mine gold, please," Brunei commanded to his senior. China gave Brunei a look. "Or yellow paper is close enough."

At least, they believed they were close.

xxxx

This is so exciting!

Malaysia could barely sit still. She held her paper necklace thingy and waited for China's next instructions. She had been waiting for their turn and finally, finally, it's the ASEAN's family week!

Family Week[1], an idea France thought up that England couldn't resist. It wasn't because of France's undying persistence but rather the minor genius in the idea.

Minor genius.

Basically, every class representative had to come up with an activity every week for his or her underclassmen. The main theme of the activity must be associated with 'family' obviously, but whatever the class rep decided that falls into the context of self-reflection and motivation was a go for England. He had too many to handle already and he was sure the class reps were dependable.

Or so he hoped.

In a school like theirs, racism and individuality was inevitable so with France's genius idea, England hoped he could at least lower the percentage to a mild number.

"You are all going to write their traits on their paper, not whatever." China signaled Japan and the silent nation also wore the paper necklace on his back. "For example, I think that Japan is a hardworking person, so I write…" Scribble, scribble. "'Hardworking' on his paper. See?" Japan turned around and showed the circle what China wrote.

"What I can see is your horrible handwriting, teacher," Myanmar commented. The rest of them in the circle chuckled (or laughed in Laos's case).

"Alright, you brats. That's enough harassing poor old me," China grinned. "I'm going to get you, Myanmar." To which Myanmar saluted with a loop sided smile.

"You're always welcome to try teacher."

"Okay, okay. Everyone understand? Any questions?"

"We can write bad things too right?" the happy-go-lucky Philippines raised her hand.

"Of course. So for Japan, I'll write 'Too addicted to animated characters'." China avoided Japan's glare and swiftly turned to the juniors. "So you can write both good traits and bad traits of that person. It doesn't matter how many things you write as long as you're honest."

The students addressed nodded their head in understanding. It was a simple activity - they could manage. China gestured for them to stand up and wear their paper necklace on their backs.

"Alright, we'll do this activity in just ten minutes so think fast," he signaled Japan to take his time and when Japan nodded, "Okay, go!"

By his signal, the young nations ran around grabbing shirts, scribbling in scattered writings, and laughing when the sensation of someone writing on their back tickles. His juniors running in circles gave the impression of lost lambs to China.

But then again, who said they weren't?

White wool so pure and oblivious, but not completely ignorant. He scoffed. They were curious little things, similar to how he was before but they were lucky to have been born later. However, the guilt in his stomach still made him queasy. No matter how much he could help them, they would still walk the path he did when they graduate.

The path of a country.

Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei; they were the ones he felt most guilty about because they weren't little lambs anymore when he found them. They were wild and uncontrollable.

Greedy.

He was too late. If only –

A small but sharp blow on his side woke him. No doubt from Japan since the others was too busy doing the activity to notice him.

"Thinking about the past again, are we?"

"Ah, old age does that to you. You got nothing left to do other than worry about the young."

"Even if you are, try not to look like you're going to cry." Always the stoic one.

"Ah, sorry, sorry."

Japan wanted to say something, China knew but he wouldn't ask. He knew better than to oppress his little brother, especially this particular one.

He just got out from the closet [2].

China chuckled at his inward joke. Japan stared at the older nation and decided to dismiss it. Instead,

"It's brilliant…this activity," he mumbled it so low he barely heard himself.

"What?"

"This isn't only a test of honesty; it's also a self-reflection activity." Ah, he always caught up fast. "At first, this activity seemed easy because you just have to write simple words. But since everyone is running around trying to write on each other's paper, there's only a little time for you to write on theirs because they'll also be running. The only time you have is to write whatever pops into your mind on the spot, the truest form of honesty. Brilliant."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. As expected of you, Chuugoku. Always the wise one."

"Thank you. But I couldn't take all the credit though."

"Hm?"

"I got this activity from this book."

Right in front of Japan's eyes was a motivational book and a smug-looking China.

"But thank you for the praise though. Makes poor old me more appreciated," China snickered and Japan couldn't help but to chuckle as well.

"Always the wise one."

—But truth be told, the people responsible were really the ones that needed these activities most.

xxxx

"Stop! You've been writing for almost fifteen minutes. Everybody stop writing," China gave his orders. "Laos, stop writing on Brunei's paper!"

"Wait, just a few more!"

"Let go of my vest, you bastard! You are going to get ink on it!" Brunei pulled his shirt, trying to free it from Laos' clutches.

"I won't if you stop struggling, you narcissist![3]" Laos pulled the cloth harder.

"Stop it this instant, you two!"

"Ow! Hey, you stepped on my foot!" Laos shouted to the older country in front of him.

"It was not intentional– Ow! You bastard," Brunei sneered to his junior. "You just stepped on my foot, did you not?!"

"You're in my way there, Your Highness."

"Laos you bastard, do you not understand human speech?! Let go of my shirt!"

"Stop wiggling around and let me write properly– Ow! You just stepped on me on purpose, didn't you?!"

"This is what you get for stepping on me harder than I stepped on you."

"Why you–"

"Gah!"

While the boys, Brunei and Laos [4] were trying to sort things out, the rest of them were also still writing something on everyone's back. Japan only shook his head watching his junior's antics.

"Malaysia, Philippines, I saw that!" the girls flinched when China shouted their names and instinctively hid their pen behind their backs.

CRASH!

Everyone in the room looked at the fallen antique China vase. Then they looked at Brunei and Laos. Laos was first to make a statement.

"Teacher!" he raised his hand. "The vase fell."

"It was not my fault," Brunei followed.

"Both of you sit down!"

xxxx

"Alright," China sighed. "You can take off your paper but don't read it just yet."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Before he got bombarded with any 'What do you mean's and 'What the heck's he raised one hand to silence the lot. He then proceeded to the teacher's podium and leaned on it silently.

Suspense hung so clearly on the air, they could even see it. Or was that the fog?

Either way, everyone was desperate to know what was written on their papers. They were so obvious and China resisted the urge to chuckle and tease them about it. He was supposed to be intimidating. China stayed silent for a few more minutes and they finally calmed down.

Whatever I'm going to say is important. So please pay attention.

They all understood his gesture.

The man in front of us is our senior, the person who helped us a lot. The upperclassman who lectured us when we were punished just because he cared. The big brother who protected us.

The parent who loved us more than anything.

So when our big brother wants to say something, we would listen, because he did the same for us.

They all respected him, that fact itself was obvious.

"Thank you," China finally said. "I'm sure all of you had fun doing this activity, and we can do it again some another time. But first I want you all to take your papers and fold it in half." Rustles of paper filled the room.

Obedient.

"Now put them in your pocket, and read it only when you're alone.

"When you read them later, I want all of you to think about what's written there carefully. This is a self-reflection activity, and I'm sure you all know what it means. So, I don't want to hear any complaining, any nagging, and most importantly any raging, understand?" China glanced at Brunei and he responded by lowering his head. The rest of the group stayed silent and only looked down on their shoes.

"Make sure you are calm and don't show your paper to anyone else. It is your secret alone. And after that, it's your choice what you want to do with that paper. Throw it, burn it or keep it, depends on you."

Another sigh.

Ah, it's ending, was what everyone thought.

"So remember, think about what's written on your papers and reflect yourselves. I can't always be there to give you all a sermon you know," China gave a small chuckle, signaling that his lecture is ending. "Have a nice weekend everyone. See you on Monday." Everyone gave a bow and their thanks.

When looking at his juniors for the last time of the week, China had a feeling that after today, some were going to find big changes while some would probably stay the same.

"I just hope it'll be someone who really needs changing," as he brushed his hand in his hair, he couldn't help but to feel the need to be nosey.

xxxx

This has got to be a joke.

But there was a part in her, and Malaysia didn't know how dominant that part is, that wished that this wasn't a joke.

After being dismissed by China, she decided to go to the library to read her paper because she knew Indonesia and Philippines would try to peek at her paper if she read it in their room. And so she hurried to the library before anyone else could beat her there.

W Academy's library was a place that should not be underestimated. Like most of the school, it was harmonically a mixture of western complexity and eastern serenity. It had its own building just across the school's lake, making outsiders gawk and wonder what kind of library had seven floors and what they were all for. It even had its own café. No other in the world could match W Academy's top notch library, but then again, W Academy was the only institution that educates nations.

But none of W Academy's many syllabuses can educate Malaysia on how to react to the situation she was in.

So she chose to be human.

—She flipped a table.

Ah, now I can calm down, her breathing rate decreased. Unbeknownst to Malaysia, her little calm down ritual had caught her some unwanted attention.

"Malaysia!"

Dang it!

She turned around to see someone she definitely did not want to see at the moment.

"What the bloody hell are you doing? Flipping a table? That's not how a lady should act," England started his rambling about proper behaviour and whatever. It wasn't like she was listening anyway. She never did, so what makes this one any different?

"Bullocks, are you even listening, Malaysia?!"

If it was up to her, Malaysia would bloody trash talk as well, but she wouldn't. She's past that century where she's a wild jungle girl. Now, she is a civilized nation with manners and poise. She would handle this the civilized way.

"England," she started. "As you know, I am a civilized and recognized nation that has gained independence from you for fifty-five years and counting."

"Yes. Thank you for your informative details about your half a century liberty, Malaysia. You have my congratulations."

"Thank you very much, England."

"But I fail to see the logic between your independence and your vandalism act of flipping the academy's library table. Do enlighten me."

"Well, England, unbeknownst to you, who never really cared about others than yourself," she whispered the last part in a second.

"What?"

"Flipping tables had been a recent trend in Malaysia. It is a national sign that shows the Independence Day is coming soon."

England smirked. "Then I believe you, out of all the Malaysians, had been accustomed to hold responsible for detention after such barbarous acts, yes?"

Malaysia shut her mouth. Every time she opened and closed her mouth, England's smirk got wider. Malaysia's expression become pained, and then gave a sigh of resignation and said,

"Alright, you got me. I'm guilty. Take me away and bring me to the Scotland Yard because I am guilty. I flipped that table out of rage, I deserve 10 years of community service." She grabbed England's shoulders in a tight grip forcing him to look her in the eyes. "But before that…"

"Oi, w-what are you doing?" England squirmed in Malaysia's tight touch when he realized that she was closing the gap between them.

Ten inches.

Seven inches.

Fi-ve inches.

Thr-ee inches.

Two-ooo inches.

Oooo-ne inch.

Oh bollocks, just hurry it up already!

BAM!

England's unconscious body dramatically fell to the ground due to the powerful head-butt Malaysia gave him. She grabbed her bag and ran before her ex-master [5] regained consciousness. "Malaysia will never again fall to your hands Britain! Never again! Merdeka, merdeka, merdeka!" she started to declare before boarding the elevator and pressing button 'seven'.

xxxx

The soft 'ting' signalled their arrival on the seventh floor of the library. Vietnam left the elevator with Thailand on her tails.

Vietnam was irritated and Thailand was smiling.

Meaning that all's right with the world. Though some might doubt their safety when they knew of Thailand's and Vietnam's status of being together. While some were still making speculations of the other signs of the Armageddon, others were congratulating and wishing their happiness, which, in Vietnam's view, were more annoying than the forever smiling man beside her.

They walked to the farthest isle on the floor and were surprised to see someone already there on their regular seat. Upon closer inspection, they found out that the 'someone' was Malaysia and that she was the source of the unimaginable mumblings they heard just a while ago. Vietnam and Thailand looked at each other before deciding to make contact with the girl, who was more alien than America's proclaimed extra terrestrial friend, at the moment.

"Malaysia?" Vietnam placed her hand on Malaysia's shoulder. The touch jolted the former nation and she started to flail her hands in a way that seemed like kung fu, taekwondo and silat.

Both older nations didn't know which it was.

Thailand decided to confront the young nation this time. "Malaysia? It's us. You can calm down now. There's no England or Portugal [6] here."

The nation in question stopped her martial art moves and calmed down. Thailand put a hand on her head and patted the little nation to her senses. "Better?"

"Yes. Thanks. What are you two doing here?"

"We're searching –" before Vietnam could finish, Thailand confessed.

"Oh, we were just thinking about making out at the end of the library."

ACK!

"I –I was just joking, darling. You didn't need to be so violent –"

SMACK DOWN! WINNER, VIETNAM!

"What are you doing here?" Vietnam ignored the man begging for help behind her. "Indonesia and Philippines were looking for you, well, I think they made a search party, actually."

"Oh, I was reading my paper, from the activity. So I decided to self-reflect here. There's no better place to self-reflect other than with books right?" Malaysia laughed weakly at her attempted joke.

Vietnam flashed Malaysia a look. "What is it? Did someone write nasty things about you?"

"Ah, no. Nothing like that," she held her hands in front of her, trying to block Vietnam's glance. She knew Vietnam was a nice person, it was just that her expressions were a little…nerve-racking.

"Ah, I know," Thailand was already sitting on the seat across Malaysia's. "I know exactly what's bothering you."

Both girls waited for Thailand to further elaborate, but with different expressions, depending on whom you were focusing.

"It's about the 'I love you' note, isn't it?"

Thunders and lightning effects weren't equivalent to the storms and hurricane raging in both girls. Vietnam quickly turned to her 'boyfriend'.

"How do you know? No one's supposed to know what's written in each other's papers." The menacing aura that came from Vietnam was as suffocating as it was terrifying.

Thailand looked displeased. "Please don't act so violent, Viet darling. It's not nice in front of the children."

Swing!

He escaped to the left. "We can do that later. Right now –"

Bam!

The chair got knocked down. "We have someone that needs our help."

"No thank you. I don't need help. Not from you two, at least."

"My, my you seem a little irritated than usual. This won't do. You need more calcium."

"Are you telling me to eat eggshells?!"

He was behind her. "My, I was merely suggesting milk but that could work too, won't it?"

Thump.

"There. Isn't that better?"

"Shut up," Vietnam snarled at the smiling man but sat down as instructed.

"Now, where were we?" A typical clap. "Ah, that's right. How did I know about the 'I love you' note?"

Malaysia, despite not wanting to, listened intently at her big brother of sorts. She already thought up of everyone who might wrote it but she couldn't get a clue. The handwriting was anonymous, and there was a little cat beside it too.

Who draws a cat beside an 'I love you' note?

"I know because I wrote it."

Katrina, Andrew, Ike and even Nina [7] together couldn't compete with the hurricane known as Vietnam right now. If Malaysia wasn't in shock and Thailand cared for his life, they were to run.

Well, they didn't.

"Aha. Hahaha… Thailand… It's Thailand… Thailand! Oh, God, why?!"

"Ehhh? What do you mean 'why'? Don't you like me?"

"Not in that way!"

"I'm going to kill you… Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill . . . . ."

"Why me?! He's the one who wrote it!"

But as soon as it started, the storm died down eventually, when the man that was responsible for the catastrophe laughed out loud.

"Oh, both of you are so amusing! That's why I can't help but to tease. How can I not with such amusing people are around me? Love! I love you all!" he then hugged the two girls in front of him, still laughing as he did. He then gestured for both of them to sit while he took the chair on Vietnam's left.

"What I meant to say was, I was the one who drew the cat. There's a drawing of a cute cat beside the confession note, right? I drew that."

"Well, there is a cat, cute? I won't really describe it that."

"See?" he was talking to his partner now. "I'm always yours."

The blush that appeared on Vietnam's face was ferocious, but the smile on Thailand's was tame.

"Can you two don't act so lovey dovey in front of me?" Glared. "Please?"

"So you want to know who wrote it?"

"Yes!" Malaysia nodded her head frivolously.

"I don't know."

"Y-You don't?" she pouted.

"Aw, don't look like that, Malaysia. I do have a hunch on who it is," Hopeful. "But I'm not going to tell you."

Her pout increased.

"But I will tell you one thing though, it's someone very close to you. Very, very close."

"Um, you don't need to stare at me so closely, Thailand."

"Eh? Sorry, I got a little carried away sometimes. Now run along and go find your Prince Charming," Thailand ushered the younger nation. "It's not nice to keep a prince waiting."

"Thank you Thailand!" Malaysia managed to wave before running to the elevator hatch.

The seventh floor of the library was silent yet again. The orange rays passing through the floor-to-ceiling windows refracted the light, making the view outside the building more lucid.

"You are such a liar."

—But refraction was always, nothing more than lies for the eyes of the beholder.

"Ah, was I wrong? I thought that making her search him herself would be better."

"I didn't say you were wrong. I said you lied. There's a significant line between the two."

Thailand stared at the girl beside him. "There must be."

"'It's just that I'm blind to them', right?"

"That's right," Thailand could only smile.

The two of them were silent. Both with their own mind to fuss about. Both minds worked in a different way, however both were thinking about the other.

"You know," Thailand finally said after a while. "I never liked these kinds of things."

Vietnam looked at her partner. He was smiling, like always.

She loved Thailand's smile. His smile made everything seemed right when everything was wrong in her eyes. Just like a few moments ago. His smile shows when he was happy and Vietnam loves Thailand when he's happy.

But there were times, when his smile meant that he was sad. Other times, it meant he was angry.

Vietnam didn't love those smiles.

"What?" she finally dared to ask.

"These motivational activities. It's…" full of lies, insincere compliments, biased. There were lots Thailand could say. "…Not honest." But he chose something it's not.

"What did they write on your paper?"

"The usual," he took the paper from his chest pocket, unfolded it and began reading, purposely excluding a few comments. "'Nice', 'always smiling', 'friendly', 'loving', 'sweet smile', 'smart', 'cool', 'likes to help other people', 'kind', 'forgiving', 'always happy', 'I don't know him well, but I think he's okay'," Thailand chuckled at the last one. "That was nice of him. Or her."

Vietnam didn't love that smile.

"You don't like people writing about you?"

"Quite the opposite actually. I like that I know what people thought of me. I hate about what they don't know about me... Well, except one person."

It was the smile that Vietnam loved, and Thailand knew it too.

Vietnam was silent again. She was deep in thought, no doubt thinking about what Thailand had confessed. That was one of the many things that Thailand loved about Vietnam. She didn't fuss over everything. Or was it because she knew that he doesn't like to talk about all the details?

Either way, he's thankful.

"I..." Thailand wasn't hesitating. "It's like no one knows the real me. All the things they described me, they are all my good points."

Yellow rays turned to orange. The view through the windows wasn't lucid anymore. They were blurry, contrasting images. They were hard to look at, but they were always there.

Waiting.

The air felt tense, Thailand was suffocating in his emotions - he knew that. He knew what he was feeling.

Sad, disappointed, frustrated.

And the truth was,

"That's all they knew about me."

—He just couldn't choose.

"I'm... no matter how you look at it, I'm a person, aren't I? I have my bad points, not just good ones." He's not perfect, he knew that too much. "I know I'm also a bad person, but why can't the others see that? How do I make them see? I don't suppose fighting or punching someone will justify that, I'm not thatbad.

"But I do have them. I don't want to be seen as an angel, I wanted to be seen as a person."

He let out a sigh and a smile was reflected from his face.

It was one that Vietnam hated.

Many times.

So many times, she wanted to slap his face. Other times, she just felt so helpless. The man in front of her was so fragile. He was too breakable. Just a little touch, and he would shatter to millions of pieces. Sometimes she wondered when will he shatter under her hands.

It was taking too long...

She didn't want to enjoy their time when she knew that he was slowly shattering.

"At first, I wanted to tear this paper apart as soon as we're out of class. But..."

She wanted to run away. She tried, every time.

"But whenever I think of your comments, I can't." She tried so hard. "I finally found, someone that really sees me as a person. Someone that, despite not wanting to, loving me for all my bad."

—She tried, but he didn't want her to.

"That loved me for being human."

He was still shattering. Even when he embraced her, she can still feel little parts of him gone.

But it was okay.

"I love you, you idiot," it was a muffled confession, barely audible through the fabrics of Thailand's uniform, but he heard her none the less.

"Thank you."

Because breaking and falling apart is something human.

Night.

Night symbolises darkness. And darkness conveys serenity.

And serenity only comes to those who struggled during the day, to those who dared to greet the night with pride and to those who would end the day with the words, "I preserved."

They embraced for the longest time they ever counted. They shed tears that were held for centuries. For the very first time, they gained courage to face the truth.

"We preserved."

xxxx

I am such an idiot.

Singapore sneered at the homework in front of him and slammed the book shut. He was in his dorm room, with Laos behind him snoring like there was no tomorrow while Thailand had been MIA since afternoon.

Foreign trading be damned, I've got more crucial things to think about.

Deciding that their dorm room was too stenched with malice, glee and whatever it was Laos had for dinner plus a basket of dirty laundry, Singapore decided to get a change of scenery.

SLAM!

The night was calm. The moon was full and the stars were twinkling, mapping the black sky and reflecting their own place in the world. There was no wind, no cloud visible to block his view of the stars.

He hated nights like this. It was too calm, the perfect atmosphere to think.

"It doesn't matter how many things you write as long as you're honest."

Damn China and his honesty test.

"If this one works, I'll give you a treat."

Damn Thailand and his manipulative ways.

"Singapura! I found you."

Damn me for being so weak.

Singapore groaned for the umpteenth time today.

47 years [8].

Forty-seven years full of regrets.

And three years from now, it'll be five decades of regret.

Oh great, now I'm depressed too?

Singapore kicked a pebble that was resting in front of his shoe to a dustbin nearby. He missed. Running a hand on his hair, Singapore decided to lie on the field of grass in front of him. He didn't know where he actually was, but he knew he was still in the campus area.

"I'm sorry Malaya."

"Goodbye."

After that, the pieces kept on increasing.

A hundred.

A thousand.

A million.

He didn't dare count. No matter how many times he was close to solving the puzzle, there would still be a piece missing.

No matter how much he tried, no matter how much he said, no matter how many tears he shed, he still couldn't convey his regret.

Every year on his birthday, she would smile for him. He wasn't stupid. His birthday wasn't a day of happiness. It was the day of their 'divorce'. It wasn't a day she wanted to celebrate, and neither did he. But every time she smiled, it seemed that the vast sky between them just got larger.

Can the sky even get larger?

The wind that answered him was cold.

No, then.

The grass he was laying on felt nice on his back. They felt damp and he was sure the soil would make some stains on his wind breaker. He couldn't care less.

Huh.

The normal Singapore would immediately stand up and dust off any traces of foreign substances on his clothing. The normal Singapore would be in his room finishing his homework. The normal Singapore wouldn't get all self-conscious over some love note.

Could it be that I was somehow contaminated by Laos?

Singapore only shrugged nonchalantly and threw himself back on the grass. Even if he was getting mutated or say, being experimented on, he'd accept it all. Because other than continuing his life in regret he'd rather end it being noble.

If being mutated is even considered noble.

Earlier that day, he hadn't planned on writing those words. He–he hadn't even plan on confessing to her for a long time. He'd given up after the tenth try. And he was sure this one is a lost cause as well.

She's so thick headed I can use her head as a plank.

"Singapura!"

Back then, it all seemed brilliant. He'll have his own land. He'll make his own rules. He'll live the free life he always wanted.

—The free life his people wanted.

"Oi, Singapura!"

But selfishness always comes with a price.

"Oi, you four eyed workaholic, over here!"

His sigh mixed with the cold air. 'Ignore' and 'ignorance' were always together after all. With him being the former and she being latter.

"What do you want, Malaysia?"

"I've been calling you but you won't answer me!" she puffed her cheeks and crossed her hands on her chest. "That's very rude you know."

Cute, but barely attractive.

"Doesn't it occur to you that I don't want to be disturbed? I'm having my man-time."

"Don't you do 'the look' with me!"

"What 'look'?"

"You're doing it again."

"Well I can't see it, can I?"

Right in front of Singapore was his own reflection from Malaysia's pocket mirror. She gestured for him to look at it.

"It's my face."

"Yes and you're doing the "I'm annoyed" face, which makes me annoyed too."

Singapore sighed for the fifth – sixth? time for the night and let it pass. He knew the girl well, he knew better than anyone not to argue with the girl sitting a few paces from him. "So, what do you want?"

"Eh? Nothing. I just saw you lying here and I thought…" she turned her head away from the teen beside her. "Nah, it's nothing."

"Whatever you say." And Singapore doesn't have the right to force.

They just sat on the earthy grass, winds swaying the mood, and the moon was shining on them as if focusing them in the limelight. They didn't mind what the moon thought though. Both of them weren't the 'main character' types.

"Singa."

"Hm?"

"What would you do, if…" she wasn't hesitating. She was just…anxious. "If someone said they loved you."

Singapore looked at her with wide eyes.

"What would you do?"

The second time she asked, it all seemed funny. All his attempts, all his words, all his tears.

All the efforts.

Hilarious.

"Don't you think this is cruel?"

"Eh?"

"Both you and I. Everyone in this school. We're all nations. Just a piece of land with people living on top of it. But why are we shaped as humans? Have you ever thought of that?"

"No."

"Because we don't need to."

"I don't understand." The confusion and need on her eyes. They were beautiful.

Attractive.

Ah, I remember now.

The reason he separated with her.

He wanted to be the one who leads, not the one that follows. He wanted to be the one that protects, not the one that's protected. He wanted to be the one who's needed, not the one that needs.

Moreover, he wanted to be the one who loves, not the one who's loved.

"We're nations. Our sole duty, the reason we even exists is to do what our people wants. To cater to our people's wishes. Emotions aren't necessary. We don't need them."

"Singa..."

"But why? Why?" It's not fair. "Why do we have all these emotions?"

"Singa!"

A country that yearns for another country.

"It's not fair."

—It's unachievable.

"Singa…" Her hands grasped his, trying to pull him out of the abyss.

—Unnecessary.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"What?" he snickered. "What are you apologizing for? Are you an idiot?"

"I'm sorry. I get it now," she was crying.

No, no. Don't do it all over again. He was the one who's supposed to be crying. That's why he did all that. He wanted to cry for her, not vice versa.

"Malaysia," he shushed. "Don't apologize. Don't cry. Don't…repeat what happened in the past, okay?"

She only looked down. It was neither a 'yes' nor a 'no'.

"You should go back. Indo and Fili might be looking for you."

She finally looked him in the eyes.

Sadness, regret and…

"I'm sorry."

She turned around and jogged back to the way she came from. The Girls' Dorm, probably. He watched her figure disappearing, her silhouette became longer.

She didn't even look back.

NOTES:

[1] Family Week: This really exists and is held in schools all over Malaysia, but it's called 'Usrah'. The activity the ASEAN nations did is also real, I did it with the Student Council committee.

[2] When Japan opened to the world again during the Meiji Era.

[3] This is my version of Brunei, the gold-addicted narcissist for my doujinshi, Hikayat Kita. Hasn't been properly introduced in the series yet, though.

[4] Brunei and Laos don't have anything between them in reality, that fighting scene is just a spur of the moment type of thing, courtesy of Mini Sengoku Basara.

[5] British had been involved in Malaysia's politics for 186 years.

[6] Portugal had also conquered Malaysia (Malacca) for over 200 years.

[7] As you've already guessed, these are the names for hurricanes.

[8] As of 2012, it has been 47 years since Singapore's independence from Malaysia.