Chapter 1

A lady lying in a field of flowers.

Her eyes flicked open, and her first sight of the environment was the blinding sunlight that greeted her with warmth. She held up a hand to shield the rays and looked to her right.

"Nii-san?" she called out softly and waited for a reply that didn't come. Where is this place? How did I even get here? Slowly, she pushed herself up. Unsure of what to do, she just sat in confusion while attempting to recall the events that led her there. However, she couldn't recall the hole in her memory.

Why can't I remember how I got here? The last memory I have is of me spending time with Nii-san.

She grew afraid with every passing minute. At one point, she was ready to accept that reality was a dream. However, a pinch was all it took to disprove the theory.

"Nii-san… where are you?" She called sadly. "Nii-san?"

Russia never showed up. Eventually, she grew tired of waiting and just stood up to look for him.

Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. I'm hungry. I hope I can find Nii-san soon.

"Nii-san!" she called. "Please come out!"

She circled the area in search of any sign of him. Inside, she was hoping that everything was just a prank he was playing on her. After a while, she gave up and went back to the spot where she started.

This is bad… Her stomach grumbled again.

"Belarus-chan?"

She turned and saw Japan in a yukata carrying a bucket of water. He appeared to be surprised. After all, he wasn't expecting anyone he knew to suddenly show up in a rural area.

"What are you doing here?" he asked and went closer. "Are you with Russia-san?"

She shook her head and began to get teary eyed.

"What's wrong?" He showed a look of concern.

"I can't find Nii-san," she replied. "I woke up here alone in the field of flowers."

"Shall I help you look for him?"

She nodded. "Please do. I must find Nii-san."

"Alright. Let's go." He smiled.

They walked around the place looking for Russia. Past the field of flowers was a forest where they continued their search. As they walked, Belarus noticed Japan leaning towards his right. It was probably because of the heavy bucket of water he was carrying.

"Isn't that heavy?" Belarus asked.

"It is," Japan replied calmly.

She felt a little guilty. "You must be tired from carrying that around."

"Well, slightly."

"Let me help you!" she said enthusiastically.

"It's alright. I'm fine, Belarus-chan."

"Then we should take a break." She stopped to rest at a nearby stump.

After the break, they continued to look for Russia who was nowhere to be found. Belarus was starting to lose hope of ever finding him.

It was starting to get dark.

Japan felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked to his side and saw a sad looking Belarus. "Japan-kun? Do you think Nii-san purposely left me here to abandon me?" she asked.

"I don't think Russia can be that heartless. He's probably worried about you."

Japan's reply gave her some encouragement. "You're right," she smiled a bit.

"It's getting dark. Why don't you stay at my farmhouse for now? If Russia is looking for you, he'll probably pass by my place to ask," Japan said while looking at the sky.

"Thank you, Japan-kun. I'm really grateful."

Japan led the way to his farm. The house was made of wood and had only one floor. It looked like the traditional Japanese home. Beside the house were poles connected together by a metal wire that was probably used for hanging laundry. In front of the house was a large field for growing crops.

"We're here," announced Japan. He opened the sliding door for his guest. "Welcome to my humble home."

"It looks very cozy." Belarus examined the room. There wasn't much. One side was the kitchen and dining area while the other side was the living room. There were three doors lined on the right. One of them was probably the bathroom.

"It is. I like living here." Japan placed the bucket of water down in the kitchen. "There's no electricity though. It gets very dark at night."

"Do you live here alone?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't it get lonely?"

Japan paused to think. "Sometimes."

"But why don't you live with anyone?"

Japan remained silent for a moment. His face gave the appearance of masked sadness.

Belarus noticed this and said, "Ah… You don't have to answer."

"Honestly, I don't know the answer myself." He smiled politely. Then, he gestured her to have a seat. "You're hungry, right? I'll make you something to eat."

Belarus tried to get herself onto a comfortable position. She just wasn't used to sitting on a pillow.

"Belarus-chan, what were you and Russia-san doing here?"

"I don't know. I can't remember anything."

Japan turned to look at her in worry. "Could it be amnesia?"

"Maybe."

Once the curry was finished, Japan brought a plate over to Belarus. "Here. This should fill you up."

"Thank you!" She ate her meal gratefully. The food calmed the pain in her stomach. Suddenly, she stopped to look at the plate of curry in front of her, wondering how Japan managed to make the meal taste so delectable.

Japan noticed that she stopped eating. "Is something wrong? You don't like the food?"

"No, no! I love the food!" she immediately said to clear up any misunderstanding, then she felt embarrassed at her sudden reply. "I was just wondering how you made it taste good."

Japan laughed. "I'll teach you next time."

After dinner, Japan showed Belarus to her room. It was small, but cozy. The floor was made of tatami mats, and there was a window with a nice view of the moon. He opened one of the cabinets to take out a futon for her to sleep on.

"Would you like to rest early?" Japan asked.

Belarus nodded.

"Alright then. Good night, Belarus-chan."

"Good night."

Japan closed the door behind him. Belarus sat down on the futon and felt its softness. This was her first time sleeping on something that's not a bed. From where she was seated, she looked up at the moon and wondered when Russia would be coming for her. Her impatience began to grow, so she forced herself to sleep.

Nii-san, come find me already.

A tear escaped her eye before she began her slumber.

The next day, Belarus woke up startled when she found herself in an unfamiliar environment. Then, she remembered she was in Japan's house and that she was separated from Russia. She sighed as she fixed her hair.

Wait. Maybe Nii-san already found this place! She thought optimistically, and opened the sliding door. Behind it, Japan was busy preparing some farming tools. Breakfast was already on the table. There was no sign of Russia.

"Ah, good morning, Belarus-chan! You'll have to eat breakfast alone. I have to work on the field." He collected the last of his tools. "Don't worry. I'm just right outside if you need anything."

Nii-san didn't come yet.

Belarus tried to hide her disappointment. "I understand. Thank you for the meal." She forced a smile.

Japan noticed the sadness behind the smile, but didn't say anything. "I'll be going now."

"Take care."

He gave one more smile to cheer her up before leaving the house.

Belarus ate breakfast alone and drowned herself in the silence of the room. Outside, it was buzzing with life and sounds of animals living merrily in the forest. Inside the house, it was just her and her deep longing. Only a day passed and she missed Russia so badly already. Bad enough to drive her crazy, but she could still control herself. She had to, since she was currently in the care of Japan.

After breakfast, she washed the dishes carefully and went outside to the veranda. From there, she could see Japan working hard on the field. There was nothing else to do, so she sat down and spaced out.

Japan saw her from the distance and waved. She didn't notice. He saw the sad expression on her face and wanted to do something about it.

Suddenly, he had an idea.